Institutional image of anadolu university according to farabi students: a research on incoming students

\udFarabi Exchange Program provides mobility of students and academic staff among Turkish higher education institutions. The purpose of this research is to explore institutional image of Anadolu University according to Farabi students and to investigate what priorities or criteria they have when they prefer Anadolu University and to explore which factors impact the decision process. With this purpose, a survey design is used as a research method. The study covers surveys of 132 of 180 students who preferred Anadolu University through Farabi Exchange Program in the academic year of 2013-2014. Research results revealed that the incoming Farabi Exchange Program students perceive the institutional image of Anadolu University positively. Although the university itself has the most important effect on the decision process, it is found that other factors like the city and the faculty/ the department also have impact on the university preferences of Farabi students. No empirical research has been found investigating the institutional image and its role in the decision process of the students benefiting from the Farabi exchange program in the literature. This study is important since it contributes to the empirical literature and provides university administrations with practical information about factors affecting university preferences