The Effect of Service Quality on Student Loyalty and Student Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Universities in Vietnam

In recent years, there have been several studies on service quality in higher education, however, research on service quality and sustainable activities affecting student loyalty has been largely ignored in previous studies. This paper investigates the role of service quality in creating student loyalty, and how university sustainability practices and student satisfaction mediate the relationship between service quality and student loyalty. The paper draws attention to university sustainability practices and understanding its impact on student satisfaction and loyalty in Vietnamese public universities. A quantitative methodology is explored, and data was collected through an online structured questionnaire. Responses are gathered from 278 students of public universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Structural equation modeling is used to examine the associations between the constructs by using the PLS-SEM approach. The results show that service quality has a significant effect on university sustainability practices, student satisfaction, and student loyalty. In addition, university sustainability practices and student satisfaction also mediate the relationship between service quality and student loyalty. The author’s findings may guide the key decision-makers in universities to incorporate service quality and universities’ sustainability practices in their strategy and thereby improve student satisfaction and student loyalty. KCI Citation Count: 0