Abstract:

This research is done in order to examine the role of the brand capital in higher education. For this purpose, we analyze the main contributions of the literature related to the study of the brand capital [(1) Farquhar, 1989; (2) Aaker, 1992; (3) Keller, 1993; (4) Faircloth, Capella and Alford, 2001; (5) Yoo y Donthu, 2001; (6) Delgado and Munuera, 2002; (7) Buil, Martinez and De Chernatony, 2010] and its application in the educational sector, identifying which variables determine the brand capital in the higher education sector, and making a comparison between public and private universities in the city of Valencia (Spain). Once we establish the susceptible brand capital in the higher education sector, an empirical research is done by using a questionnaire developed in spanish language with a Likert scale of grade 5 in which 1 point means "strongly disagree" and 5 mean "strongly agree", being based on the measurement scales proposed by Aaker (1992) and Keller (1993). Thus, we have a valid sample of 1.133 students (647 of them from public institutions and 486 from private ones).

The results obtained show the differences in perception of brand capital between public and private higher educational institutions, regarding the variables that determine it, which are:
(1) brand awareness,
(2) brand image,
(3) perceived quality and
(4) brand loyalty.

Keywords:

Brand Capital, Brand Equity, Higher Education, Brand Awareness, Brand Image, Perceived Quality, Brand Loyalty, Public versus Private.