The effect of university service quality on student satisfaction and student engagement

Ruotong Wang

African Educational Research Journal
Published: October 22 2026
Volume 14, Issue 4
Pages 860-866
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23570110

Abstract

This study examined the effects of university service quality on student satisfaction and student engagement and tested the mediating role of engagement in the relationship between service quality and satisfaction. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted with 323 accounting students from three universities in Surabaya, Indonesia. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. The measurement model demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity for university service quality, student engagement, and student satisfaction. University service quality had strong positive effects on student satisfaction (β = .800, t = 40.744, p < .001) and student engagement (β = .875, t = 35.123, p < .001). Student engagement also positively affected student satisfaction (β = .231, t = 6.296, p < .001). The model explained 76.6% of the variance in engagement and 71.2% of the variance in satisfaction. The indirect effect of service quality on satisfaction through engagement was significant (β = .202, t = 5.845, p < .001, 95% CI [.145, .268]), indicating complementary partial mediation. The findings highlight service quality as a central institutional resource for strengthening both students’ evaluative satisfaction and their active engagement in university learning.

Keywords: Higher education service quality, student satisfaction, student engagement, PLS-SEM, university management.

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