Abstract

The research compares the factors that influence the decision of young people to study commercial engineering based on the comparison of the motivations and preferences of university students of the public and private systems of the Coquimbo Region (Chile). The data, collected through a survey of freshmen was analyzed through inferential tests and the application of a multivariate model. The results showed that students of the private system base their choice on vocation, career employability level and motivations related to entrepreneurship and innovation; while students of the public system select the career by the career employability level, personal growth and motivations related to personal improvement and economic position. The comparison of the preferences showed differences in the relative importance of the attributes accreditation of the career and institutional recognition. It is revealed that knowledge of the career (employability and income) is a key factor of their preference.