THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROMOTION, AFFORDABILITY OF TUITION, AND ENROLLMENT PROCESS SIMPLICITY ON STUDENT ADMISSION DECISIONS IN THE DIGITAL ERA: A CASE STUDY AT UNIVERSITAS LANCANG KUNING

Abstract

Competition among private universities in Indonesia, particularly in Riau Province, has intensified as institutions seek effective strategies to attract prospective students. Most prior studies emphasized the 7P marketing mix, leaving a gap in understanding the specific influence of promotion, tuition affordability, and enrollment process simplicity. This study addresses the gap by examining these three factors in student enrollment decisions at Universitas Lancang Kuning. A quantitative explanatory design was applied, with data from 160 new students analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that all variables significantly influence enrollment decisions, with process simplicity (β = 0.341, p < 0.05) and promotion (β = 0.304, p < 0.05) having stronger effects than tuition affordability (β = 0.192, p < 0.05). The model explains 51.8% of variance (R² = 0.518) and has strong predictive relevance (Q² = 0.354). These findings suggest that in the digital era, simplified enrollment systems and effective digital promotion are more decisive than tuition costs. The study enriches higher education marketing literature and offers practical insights for private universities to strengthen digital promotion, improve tuition flexibility, and streamline procedures to enhance competitiveness.