Saudi Undergraduate Students’ Reasons for Transferring from Public University to Private University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reasons undergraduate students chose to transfer from a public university to a private university. For this case study, 32 undergraduate female students attending a private university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were surveyed and 15 were interviewed. The students were selected following a convenience sampling method. The research design was non-experimental case study; the method of data collection was concurrent explanatory mixed methods approach. The analysis of the data followed a thematic analysis approach. The results of the study indicated that the major reason students chose to transfer from a public university to a private university were: flexibility in their ability to choose a major, smaller classroom sizes, and overall better university environment. Moreover, students indicated that if private universities would lower their tuition, they would be able to attract more students. The implications of the study informs both public and private universities on undergraduate students’ preferences for enrolling at a university. In conclusion, if universities offered the needed programs, adequate university facilities, and in the case of private universities lower tuition, then they would be successful in attracting more students.