Malaysian Matriculation Student’s Factors in Choosing University and Undergraduate Program

The purpose of this study is to identify the influencing factors in selecting a university and course program among Malaysian matriculation students. The study was conducted at two matriculation colleges in south Malaysia. Questionnaire was distributed to students from Negeri Sembilan Matriculation College (NSMC) and Malacca Matriculation College (MMC). These matriculation students are selected because they are in the position of making decision to pursue their studies at tertiary level upon completing the matriculation program. The numbers of students from the matriculation program that pursue to the Malaysia Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) are comparatively higher than the numbers of students from Malaysia Certificate of Higher Education (MCHE) and diploma program. The study found that the suitability of study program with their personalities, career opportunities and interest were significantly influenced them in choosing the university and course program. Therefore, some strategies and efforts are recommended for the engineering faculty of UKM to acquire better students in the future.