Purpose – This study examines the mediating role of perceived ethical climate (PEC) in the relationship between service quality and student cynicism (SC) in higher education. This study aims to examine whether PEC explains the relationship between perceived institutional quality and students’ cynical attitudes. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 424 senior undergraduate students at a public university in Türkiye. Validated scales measuring service quality, PEC and SC were used. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the measurement models. The hypothesized mediation model was tested using bootstrapped regression analysis. Findings – Service quality was negatively associated with SC and positively associated with PEC, while PEC was negatively related to cynicism. Mediation analysis indicated that PEC partially mediates the relationship between service quality and student cynicism. The findings suggest that quality-oriented institutional practices may reduce SC by strengthening the PEC. Originality/value – This study makes three key contributions. First, it integrates service quality, PEC and SC into a single theoretically grounded model, addressing an important gap in the higher education literature. Second, it empirically demonstrates the mediating role of PEC as a mechanism linking institutional quality perceptions to student attitudes. Third, it offers practical implications for higher education governance by showing how aligning quality management practices with ethical principles can reduce student cynicism.