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An analysis of costs in institutions of higher education in England

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Author Info
Geraint Johnes
Jill Johnes
E Thanassoulis

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Abstract

Cost functions are estimated, using both random effects and stochastic frontier methods, for institutions of higher education in England. The paper advances on the existing literature by employing finer disaggregation by subject, institution type, and location, and by introducing consideration of quality effects. The findings are that, amongst undergraduates, medical students are the most costly, and non-science students the least; amongst postgraduates, those on taught courses are costly, while research students are relatively inexpensive. Provision in London is found to be more costly than that elsewhere. Estimates of economies of scale and economies of scope vary according to the choice of estimating technique. The random effects model suggests that ray economies of scale and economies of scope are ubiquitous. The stochastic frontier model suggests some product-specific economies of scale in research, but diseconomies elsewhere, and product specific economies of scope in undergraduate science, but diseconomies elsewhere. This has implications for achieving any expansion in higher education.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department in its series Working Papers with number 002467.

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Date of creation: 2005
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Handle: RePEc:lan:wpaper:002467

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Related research
Keywords: higher education; cost functions;

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Johnes, Geraint, 1997. "Costs and Industrial Structure in Contemporary British Higher Education," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(442), pages 727-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. William Greene, 2002. "Fixed and Random Effects in Stochastic Frontier Models," Working Papers 02-16, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. Philip Andrew Stevens, 2005. "A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of English and Welsh Universities," Education Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 355-374, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Jondrow, James & Knox Lovell, C. A. & Materov, Ivan S. & Schmidt, Peter, 1982. "On the estimation of technical inefficiency in the stochastic frontier production function model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2-3), pages 233-238, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Battese, G E & Coelli, T J, 1995. "A Model for Technical Inefficiency Effects in a Stochastic Frontier Production Function for Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 325-32.
  6. Nerlove, Marc, 1971. "A Note on Error Components Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 39(2), pages 383-96, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Johnes, Geraint, 1996. "Multi-product Cost Functions and the Funding of Tuition in UK Universities," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 3(9), pages 557-61, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Wallace, T D & Hussain, Ashiq, 1969. "The Use of Error Components Models in Combining Cross Section with Time Series Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 37(1), pages 55-72, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Johnes, Geraint, 1998. "The Costs of Multi-product Organizations and the Heuristic Evaluation of Industrial Structure," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 199-209, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Izadi, Hooshang & Johnes, Geraint & Oskrochi, Reza & Crouchley, Robert, 2002. "Stochastic frontier estimation of a CES cost function: the case of higher education in Britain," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 63-71, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Geraint Johnes, 2004. "A Fourth Desideratum: The CES Cost Function and the Sustainable Configuration of Multiproduct Firms," Bulletin of Economic Research, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 56(4), pages 329-332, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. Geraint Johnes & Jill Johnes & E Thanassoulis & Mika Kortelainen, 2009. "Costs and Efficiency of Higher Education Institutions in England: A DEA Analysis," Working Papers 005896, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
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