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Assessing the Efficiency of Public Universities through DEA. A Case Study

Author

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  • Delimiro Visbal-Cadavid

    (Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad del Magdalena, 470004 Santa Marta, Colombia)

  • Mónica Martínez-Gómez

    (Departamento de Estadística e Investigación Operativa Aplicadas y Calidad, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Francisco Guijarro

    (Institut de Matemàtica Pura i Aplicada, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an efficiency study of Colombian public universities in 2012, conducted using the methodology of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the models CCR, BCC and SBM under output orientation. The main objective is to determine technical, pure technical, scale and mix efficiencies using data acquired from the Ministry of National Education. An analysis of the results shows the extent to which outputs of inefficient Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) could be improved and the possible cause of this inefficiency. The universities were also ranked using a Pareto efficient cross-efficiency model and a study was made of changes to overall productivity between 2011 and 2012. The results showed Tolima, Caldas and UNAD to be the best-performing universities, with Universidad del Pacífico as the worst performer. Malmquist index was applied to analyze the change in productivity from 2011 to 2012. The Universidad de La Guajira showed great improvement in technical efficiency between 2011 and 2012.

Suggested Citation

  • Delimiro Visbal-Cadavid & Mónica Martínez-Gómez & Francisco Guijarro, 2017. "Assessing the Efficiency of Public Universities through DEA. A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:8:p:1416-:d:107966
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    3. Shiva Moslemi & Hamidreza Izadbakhsh & Marzieh Zarinbal, 2019. "A new reliable performance evaluation model: IFB-IER–DEA," OPSEARCH, Springer;Operational Research Society of India, vol. 56(1), pages 14-31, March.
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    5. Cui, Yuan & Ren, Xian-tong & He, Xi-jie & Yang, Guo-liang, 2023. "Is human and financial investment in Chinese universities effective?," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
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    7. Shih-Pin Chen & Chung-Wei Chang, 2021. "Measuring the efficiency of university departments: an empirical study using data envelopment analysis and cluster analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(6), pages 5263-5284, June.
    8. Awadh Pratap Singh & Shiv Prasad Yadav & Preeti Tyagi, 2022. "Performance assessment of higher educational institutions in India using data envelopment analysis and re-evaluation of NIRF Rankings," International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, Springer;The Society for Reliability, Engineering Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM),India, and Division of Operation and Maintenance, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, vol. 13(2), pages 1024-1035, April.
    9. Huichen Jiang & Yifan He, 2018. "Applying Data Envelopment Analysis in Measuring the Efficiency of Chinese Listed Banks in the Context of Macroprudential Framework," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-18, September.
    10. Elena I. Dobrolyubova & Alexandra N. Starostina, 2022. "Efficiency of Regional Public Expenditures on Education and Healthcare: Evaluation from Citizens’ Perspective," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 4, pages 64-78, August.
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    14. Alexander Arévalo S & Víctor Giménez G & Diego Prior J, 2022. "Análisis de eficiencia en educación: una aplicación del método StoNED," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, vol. 92(2), pages 45-91, October.

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