Where do you find loyalty in the contemporary university scene?
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the antecedents of student satisfaction and tests the interrelationships between student satisfaction, motivation and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The study used survey research design and collected valid sample 738 from the three oldest public universities in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Findings The study extracted four antecedents: academic facilities, administration services, support services and campus infrastructure. The results established that student motivation serves as a mediation role between satisfaction and loyalty and also proved a direct effect of student satisfaction on student loyalty. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on student satisfaction and motivation, as these two constructs are the most important inputs in the creation of student loyalty. Student satisfaction and motivation have been found to be critical inputs for the development of student loyalty. Practical implications This research helps the management in acquiring a better understanding of the relationship between student satisfaction, motivation and loyalty, to exercise better strategies to improve its own performance and ultimately to well understand student priorities. Social implications The Indian higher education institutions are facing enormous issues related to quality in education. Changes in the requirements of higher education and related services as well as intense competition have necessitated higher performance levels in the realm of Indian higher education (universities). The key issues examined in the course of the authors research along with the findings can help in achieving such levels. Originality/value The present research contribute to the existing field of knowledge by providing support for the contention that student satisfaction is a key influencing factor in the creation of student loyalty and in the development of the mediation role of motivation between student satisfaction and loyalty.