The Role of Student Satisfaction Mediation on the Influence of Trust, Brand Image and Perceived Value on Students’ Attitude towards Stimik Banda Aceh

This study investigates the influence of student satisfaction, trust, brand image, and perceived value on students’ attitudes towards STMIK Indonesia Banda Aceh amid declining enrolment trends. Operating in a highly competitive environment with a decrease in new student admissions over the past five years, the university faces challenges in maintaining its reputation and attracting prospective students. The research aims to identify the key factors that shape student attitudes and determine the most dominant influences to inform strategic decision-making. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 178 students through structured questionnaires, with subsequent analysis employing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in IBM SPSS-AMOSS version 22. The validity and reliability of constructs were confirmed through measures such as Outer Loadings and Average Variance Extracted (AVE). The findings reveal that trust significantly affects both student satisfaction and attitudes, with strong correlations observed between brand image and student satisfaction. Perceived value also plays a crucial role, enhancing positive perceptions when students feel that the benefits outweigh costs. The results underscore the importance of building and maintaining high trust levels, a positive brand image, and perceived value to foster favourable student attitudes. Improving student satisfaction emerges as a mediating variable that can effectively influence perceptions and attitudes, thereby potentially reversing enrolment decline. The study provides meaningful insights for university management to develop targeted strategies aimed at enhancing service quality, strengthening institutional trust, and emphasizing the university’s brand image. Ultimately, fostering positive student attitudes through these factors can bolster institutional reputation, increase loyalty, and attract new students in a competitive higher education landscape.