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Relative efficiency of higher education in Croatia and Slovenia: an international comparison

Author

Listed:
  • Alka Obadić

    (University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Aleksander Aristovnik

    (University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Abstract

The article measures the relative efficiency of government spending on higher education in selected new EU member states (with special focus on Croatia and Slovenia) in comparison to selected OECD countries. The article applies a non-parametric approach, i.e. data envelopment analysis (DEA), to assess the relative technical efficiency of higher education across selected countries. When estimating the efficiency frontier we focus on measures of quantities outputs/outcomes. The results show that the relatively high public expenditure per student in Croatia should have resulted in a better performance regarding the outputs/outcomes, i.e. a higher rate of higher education school enrolment, a greater rate of labor force with a higher education and a lower rate of the unemployed who have tertiary education. On the other hand, regardless of the input-output/outcome mix, the higher education system in Slovenia is shown to have a much higher level of efficiency compared to both Croatia and many other comparable new EU member states and OECD countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Alka Obadić & Aleksander Aristovnik, 2011. "Relative efficiency of higher education in Croatia and Slovenia: an international comparison," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 13(30), pages 362-376, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:aes:amfeco:v:13:y:2011:i:30:p:362-376
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    Cited by:

    1. Mehmet Cahit GÜRAN & Emine AYRANCI, 2019. "Efficiency Changes in Higher Education in OECD Countries: Implementation of Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index for 2000 and 2012 PeriodAbstract: This study analyzes the total factor productivit," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 27(41).
    2. Gabor Rappai, 2016. "Europe En Route to 2020: A New Way of Evaluating the Overall Fulfillment of the Europe 2020 Strategic Goals," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 77-93, October.
    3. Aristovnik, Aleksander & Obadić, Alka, 2014. "Measuring relative efficiency of secondary education in selected EU and OECD countries: the case of Slovenia and Croatia," MPRA Paper 63936, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Kešeljević Aleksandar, 2013. "Comparative Analysis of the Value Added Tax Evolution," Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, ScientificPapers.org, vol. 3(3), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Muhammad Baqir Abdullah & Mukaramah Harun & Mohd Razani Mohd Jali, 2017. "Employment Generated by Government Spending on Education," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(2), pages 738-742, February.
    6. Maja Nikšić Radić & Hana Paleka, 2020. "Higher Education Funding and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Croatia," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (continues Analele Stiintifice), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 67(3), pages 409-421, September.
    7. Ahec Šonje, Amina & Deskar-Škrbić, Milan & Šonje, Velimir, 2018. "Efficiency of public expenditure on education: comparing Croatia with other NMS," MPRA Paper 85152, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 10 Feb 2018.
    8. Petr Hlavacek & Marta Zambochova & Tomas Sivicek, 2015. "The Influence of the Institutions on Entrepreneurship Development: Public Support and Perception of Entrepreneurship Development in the Czech Republic," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(38), pages 408-408, February.
    9. Aleksander Aristovnik & Alka Obadic, 2015. "The impact and efficiency of public administration excellence on fostering SMEs in EU countries," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(39), pages 761-761, May.
    10. Lena Malesevic Perovic & Maja Mihaljevic Kosor, 2020. "The Efficiency of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 22(54), pages 516-516, April.
    11. Katerina Fotova Čiković & Ivana Martinčević & Joško Lozić, 2022. "Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in the Selection of Sustainable Suppliers: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-30, May.
    12. Renato A. Villano & Carolyn‐Dung T. T. Tran, 2021. "Survey on technical efficiency in higher education: A meta‐fractional regression analysis," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 110-135, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public expenditure; efficiency; higher education; data envelopment analysis; Croatia; Slovenia; new EU member states; OECD;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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