From Service Quality to Loyalty: The Role of Satisfaction among International Students in South America

Jazmin I.T.S.; Fabiola C.P.D.; Daniel M.E.C.; Eber P.V.J.; Harold M.C.; Carlos William M.G. · Journal of International Students (2026) · DOI: 10.32674/vv4ne676

Resumen

In higher education, the quality of service has been recognized as an essential element for achieving student satisfaction and loyalty. This study analyzed the influence of service quality on the satisfaction and loyalty of 140 international students from three South American universities in Peru, Colombia, and Chile from 26 countries. The SERVQUAL dimensions showed high internal consistency (α=0.816–0.892), while Satisfaction (α=0.95) and Loyalty (α=0.902) demonstrated high reliability. The SEM with the DWLS estimator showed satisfactory fit indices (CFI=0.996; TLI=0.995; RMSEA=0.077). Thus, the results indicate that service quality had a positive and significant influence on Satisfaction (β=0.679; R²=0.461), and this, in turn, influenced Loyalty (β=0.889; R²=0.859). Similarly, service quality had a weak but statistically significant direct effect on loyalty (β=0.055; p=0.036) and a strong indirect effect mediated by satisfaction (β=0.603), confirming the relevance of satisfaction in the formation of institutional loyalty in internationalized contexts.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Unión