Abstract:

Objective To investigate the satisfaction level of graduate education quality and analyze its influence factors. Methods The satisfaction level survey was conducted among 500 graduates enrolled in 2010 from three comprehensive universities in Shanghai by random sampling method. The questionnaires covered sex, discipline, hometown, and family annual income of subjects and satisfaction level survey table covered 36 items of 5 categories, including education and research conditions, campus life, service facilities, concerns about individuals, and charges and subsidizations. Descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis were adopted to study the satisfaction level of the graduates and its influence factors. Results The overall satisfaction level of graduates was scored 5.44, which could be classified as relatively satisfied. Among five categories, the most satisfied category was the charges and subsidizations, the score of satisfaction level was 5.62±1.20; the least satisfied one was the concerns about individuals, the score was 5.32±1.16. The difference between the expectation of service quality and actual service quality was statistically significant (P＜0.05). Scores of different disciplines (medicine, engineering, science, management, and law) and graduates from different income families were statistically significant (P＜0.01 and P＜0.05). The influential factors of the overall satisfaction level of graduates were disciplines (t=-4.292, P＝0.000) and annual household income (t=3.221, P=0.001). Conclusion The graduates are basically satisfied with the overall quality of education services. Less satisfied aspects are interaction between teachers and students, contents of elective courses, activities organized by the school, and concerns about students. Factors such as disciplines and annual household income. can affect the graduates′ judgments on the quality of higher education services. Large space still exits for improving and upgrading the quality of graduate education services.

Key words: satisfaction, service quality, graduate education, empirical research