Satisfaction Levels of Tertiary Students with On-Campus and Off-Campus Accommodation in Ghana

The introduction of free Senior High School (SHS) education policy in Ghana in the 2017/2018 academic year has resulted in an explosion in the number of intakes by tertiary institutions since the 2020/2021 academic year. In the provision of more accommodation infrastructure, it is important that students’ satisfaction is met. This study was designed to unveil the kind of improvements needed in the next accommodation delivery cycle due to an increase in student intake. Realizing from literature that most studies in Ghana focused on either on-campus or off-campus accommodation, and the fact that recently, off-campus hostels have accommodated about 60% of students, the research was designed to be a comparative study, using Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana as the case. The mixed-method approach was employed, including literature, questionnaire and observation in a multi-levelled research approach. The data from the questionnaire were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics, whereas the data obtained from the observational studies were thematically analyzed. The study found that on-campus halls/hostels had fewer areas that needed improvement. However, the following improvements for off-campus accommodation must be taken into consideration: ‘access to faculty area’ for students of on-campus halls/hostels and the ‘provision of internet facilities’, ‘street lighting system’, ‘security provision’ and ‘management response to student’s concerns’. These findings provide timely assistance to the government and private developers involved in the provision of students’ accommodation.