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Attainment and Gender Equality in Higher Education: Evidence from a Large Scale Expansion

Author

Listed:
  • Caner, Asena

    (TOBB University of Economy and Technology)

  • Demirel-Derebasoglu, Merve

    (Bilkent University)

  • Okten, Cagla

    (Bilkent University)

Abstract

We examine the dramatic expansion in the Turkish higher education system during 2006-2008, which resulted in the establishment of 41 new public universities and a 60% increase in the number of available slots. Using the variation in the exposure intensity of expansion across cohorts and regions, we estimate the causal effect of the expansion on overall attainment and the gender gap in higher education. Before the expansion, women had lower higher education rates. The expansion increased the attainment rates of both men and women but failed to reduce the gender gap. Comparing the scale of expansion across fields of study, we observe that the largest growth in available slots was in social sciences and engineering. The expansion of slots in social sciences benefited men and women evenly, but the expansion in engineering benefited men more than women, thereby raising the gender gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Caner, Asena & Demirel-Derebasoglu, Merve & Okten, Cagla, 2019. "Attainment and Gender Equality in Higher Education: Evidence from a Large Scale Expansion," IZA Discussion Papers 12711, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12711
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    Cited by:

    1. Ozan Bakis & Sezgin Polat, 2023. "Wage inequality dynamics in Turkey," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 50(3), pages 657-694, August.
    2. Demirel-Derebasoglu, Merve & Okten, Cagla, 2022. "Gendered Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Transitioning from University to Labor Market: Evidence from Turkey," IZA Discussion Papers 15169, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Murat Demirci & Meltem Poyraz, 2021. "Post-Compulsory Schooling of Youth in Turkey during the Great Recession: A Case of Pro-cyclical Enrollment," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 2117, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    4. Baltagi, Badi H. & Flores-Lagunes, Alfonso & Karatas, Haci M., 2023. "The effect of higher education on Women's obesity and smoking: Evidence from college openings in Turkey," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    5. Murat Demirci & Meltem Poyraz, 2021. "A Practitioner’s Guide to Handling Irregularities Resulting from the 2014 Revisions to the Turkish Household Labor Force Survey," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 35(1), pages 1-25.
    6. Rogne, Adrian F. & Knutsen, Tora Kjærnes & Modalsli, Jørgen, 2023. "A college on every cape: Gender equality, gender segregation and higher educational expansion," SocArXiv xej64, Center for Open Science.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    higher education expansion; educational attainment; gender gap; Turkey;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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