What 21st-Century Students Want: Factors That Influence Student Selection of Educational Leadership Graduate Programs

• In Event: Assessment and Evaluation of Educational Leadership Programs

Abstract

Enrollment numbers in graduate Educational Leadership programs are dwindling in many public higher education institutions across the United States. At the same time, for-profit institutions and institutions with private marketing partnerships have experienced increasingly greater enrollments. In this paper, we analyzed survey results of graduate students in Educational Leadership programs (n=103) to determine the factors that motivate students to select a particular graduate Educational Leadership program. Results suggest that Master’s and doctoral-level students primarily select an Educational Leadership program based on the course delivery methods (with hybrid courses most preferred) and the convenience that the program offers in terms of scheduling and location.

Authors

• Lesley F. Leach, Tarleton State University

• Mary P. Winn, Tarleton State University

• Susan L. Erwin, Tarleton State University

• Elizabeth P Benedict, Tarleton State University