This article describes the financial valuation process of brands of 58 universities in Chile, providing a performance ranking system and identifying the main variables that influence their brand value. In this respect, an adaptation of the multiple valuation method in companies was used considering the financial statements of higher education institutions during the years 2012-2015, thus making a factorial analysis of main components and a multiple linear regression on institutional variables.
As general results, 88% of higher education institutions showed a positive brand value, highlighting the two leading universities in the country. These results match with the ranking system of high quality and reputation, showing a positive correlation between those rankings and brand value. The determinants of brand value represent the qualification of the academic body, given by the postgraduate level reached and the institutional infrastructure.
Although brand value in higher education has received special academic support in recent years, finding a better method to determine its value and the dimensions that explain it is not free from questioning. On the other hand, empirical advancement is a reflection of scientific concern of a dimension that is not widely explored yet, as it is the economic and financial perspective. It is evident that such outcomes clearly support university managers as they positively contribute to brand value, therefore generating appropriate strategies to be fostered and tracked over time.
