The current study examines the conceptual foundations and drivers of relationship marketing ideologies and their marketing applications in the tertiary education sector. Towards these objectives, a series of semi-structured interviews have been conducted among students of leading tertiary education institutions in New Zealand. Results of the study suggest that education providers' (EPs) service-oriented behaviours, trust, commitment and their infrastructure enhance student satisfaction and loyalty in tertiary educational institutions. The study suggests that higher education providers (HEPs) should commit themselves to customer-centric service-oriented tactics and actions, and must earn customers' trust and build loyalty from their marketing practices. Based on the research findings, a conceptual model of relationship marketing in higher education is proposed. The current study contributes to marketing theory by reviewing and summarizing the key drivers of relationship marketing and discussing their applications in the formal tertiary education sector. The study also provides suggestions to tertiary education marketers in terms of priorities for developing and maintaining profitable customer relationships in this changing world and offers an agenda for future research.