The student's perspective on university quality: its relationship with the degree program they are pursuing

Abstract

Quality in higher education is a multifaceted construct, traditionally assessed through institutional indicators and accreditation processes. However, the student perspective, as the primary actor in the educational process, has gained increasing relevance in recent years. This article explores students’ perceptions of the concept of quality in higher education and how these perceptions correlate with the undergraduate programs they are enrolled in. The data analyzed come from a survey administered to 142 students from various academic programs at the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, examining the factors that influence this perception—such as teaching quality, infrastructure, support services, and curriculum relevance, among others. It is argued that the student’s viewpoint is essential for a holistic evaluation and for the continuous improvement of educational offerings. Educational quality—particularly at the higher education level—has been widely studied as part of a long-term research project on perceptions of university quality in Latin America and Europe conducted by the network Estudios sobre Calidad de las Universidades en América Latina y España. In this article, we replicate its methodology to analyze students’ perceptions of the concept of quality compared to the perception they attribute to the academic program they pursue at the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa.The research is structured around key dimensions that shape students’ perceptions and concludes with recommendations for higher education institutions to incorporate this perspective into their quality management strategies.