An application of the net promoter score in higher education

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) has been widely used as a strong indicator of loyalty and growth in organizations. However, despite extensive use in various industries, its application in higher education has been limited. To address this gap, we explore the use of NPS in the identification and investigation of the characteristics as well as behaviors of 3 groups of undergraduate business students: promoters, passives, and detractors. We also investigate the role of university experience and satisfaction on students’ likelihood to recommend their academic program to their friends. Using survey data from 3 regional state universities in the US, with a combined sample size of 493 business students, we calculated the NPS by asking the question, “How likely is it that you would recommend the business program to a friend?” Upon calculating the NPS, 75 detractors, 165 passives and 253 promoters were identified and categorized. Based on our findings, recommendations were provided to assist university administrators in their efforts towards minimizing the number of detractors, positively converting passives, and increasing the number of promoters.