Determinants Influencing First-year Students’ Academic Programme Choices in South African Universities

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20506742

Felicity Khensani Mathye¹ and Risimati Maurice Khosa² (Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, South Africa¹ and Department of Applied Management, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa²)

This paper examines the factors influencing study choice among first-year students at a South African higher education institution, with particular emphasis on parental influence. Guided by the research question, “What is the effect of parental influence on student study choice?”, the study employed a mixed-methods approach using purposive sampling. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via students’ institutional email accounts and analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative interpretative analysis. The findings reveal that students’ academic decisions are shaped by a complex interplay of social background, parental guidance, mentorship, institutional reputation, socioeconomic context, and personal ambition. While parental influence remains significant, it operates alongside evolving forms of student autonomy in a digitally mediated environment. The results suggest that parental guidance plays a supportive yet non-deterministic role in shaping study choice, highlighting the importance of balanced family engagement and institutional career support systems. The paper contributes to the broader discourse on higher education access, equity, and student decision-making in South Africa and offers policy-relevant insights for strengthening recruitment strategies, academic advising, and student support services.