Student experience as a strategic resource of a modern university: a theoretical model and an empirical analysis of factors of student satisfaction (a case study of Perm State University)

http://dx.doi.org/10.17072/2949‐5601-2026-2-33-43

Abstract

education in the public consciousness, the competitiveness of a university is increasingly determined not only by academic rankings and the content of educational programs. The ability of a university to foster a positive, holistic student experience – which, with sufficient attention to its management, can be considered one of the key factors in retaining the student body and attracting new applicants – comes to the fore. The aim of this article is to conceptualize a theoretical model for measuring student experience and to test it using the example of a regional university. The theoretical section integrates the foreign paradigms of «Stimulus – Organism – Response», the «Eduscape» concept, the hedonic pyramid of student experience, as well as the contributions of domestic researchers on satisfaction with the educational environment. The empirical basis for the testing was a survey of 742 students of Perm State National Research University (PSU, 2026). The results show high formal satisfaction with learning conditions (86,3 %), but the sense of belonging to the university (perceiving it «as home») is less pronounced (58,8 %). Hygienic factors of satisfaction and motivation are problematized: the condition of classrooms, the quality of food, dormitory conditions, etc. The socio-psychological climate and the institutions of tutoring (both faculty and peer tutoring) are assessed extremely positively. The conclusion emphasizes the need for regular diagnostics of student experience as a tool that can make a significant contribution to image management and, consequently, to increasing the competitiveness of a modern university.