Local Community Perception of Private Universities in the Shouf Area

Abstract or Introduction

This research has been made to study the local community perception in Shouf area towards higher education sector in this area. Many factors were set into study seeing whether respondents preferred public and private universities relying on these factors that ranged between low fees, higher educational level, prestige, job opportunities and many other factors.

Two surveys at two different seasons were made and findings showed that most of the local community residents by 63% prefer private universities rather than public universities. Public universities, like Lebanese University Deir Al-Kamar, were preferred due to low fees and higher educational level by 60% of respondents. Those factors were lacked in private universities, setting a challenge for those universities regarding the value they deliver to students.

As for private universities they competed public ones in prestige, job opportunities, ease of accessibility and more orders and regulations between 55% and 60%. NDU Deir Al-Kamar was the most preferred among universities for the same reasons stated and even by respondents that preferred public universities in general. Those factors were also lacked in public universities setting also a challenge in the face of the Lebanese Ministry of Education in the value delivered for students.