Every year students choose between higher institutes to continue their higher education. Choosing one institute over the other is a decision that involves different factors. Understanding the various factors that affect buying decision and developing a marketing strategy accordingly is essential for the success of a higher education institute. In Ethiopia, little is known about how students make private higher institute choices and the different factors that influence their decisions. As a result, private higher institutes in Ethiopia are not developing their marketing strategies based on an understanding of the factors that influence students higher institute choice. Therefore, the study's objective was to identify and rank the different factors that influence Ethiopia students' private higher-institute choice decisions. The study was conducted in two-stages. In the first stage, exploratory research was conducted to identify variables that influence consumer behavior by reviewing different literature related to the subject matter. Moreover, the research questions were clearly defined, and data collection instruments were also developed. In the second stage, a descriptive research design was used to investigate and explain the research questions.