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Choice of higher education in India and its determinants

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  • Khalid Khan

    (Indian Institute of Dalit Studies)

Abstract

This paper, based on the quantitative evidence, presents a micro-economic analysis of the choice of higher education that individuals make. Using 75th round National Sample Survey, 2017–18 data on enrolment in higher education (cross-sectional data), the determinants of choice of higher education are investigated. The overall enrolment rate in India follows the identity based pattern with Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) lying at the bottom of the ladder among the social groups and Muslims as the most vulnerable group among the religious groups. The inequality disappears when eligibility of the student is taken into the consideration. The analysis is based on three stages. In the first stage, it analyses the decision to choose higher education for the population in the age group 18 to 29 years and the eligible population also. The second stage of the analysis based on multinomial logit model examines the choice of job-oriented courses over general courses. Lastly, the third stage analyses the role of identity in explaining the inter-group gap using the Fairlee decompositon method. The result shows that inequality exists across social and occupational background at aggregate level but it disappears when eligibility is taken into consideration. However, inequality is reproduced in terms of courses. The probability of choosing higher education is higher among regular salaried households (RS) than self-employed (SE) and casual labour households (CL) but students from RS households are more likely than SE and CL households to choose engineering and medicine over general courses. Students from underpriviledged social background namely scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribe and Muslims household are less likely to choose engineering over general course than High castes (HC) but Muslims and SC have higher chance of choosing medicine over HC. This is to note that income background of student remains an important determinant at all stages of analysis. Students from bottom 80 percent are disadvantaged than top 20 percent population in terms of choice of higher education as well as choice of job-oriented courses. The analysis shows that the improving income or financial support may reduce the gap across socio-religious groups but the group identity itself explains the substantial proportion of the gap in higher education as well as job-oriented courses.

Suggested Citation

  • Khalid Khan, 2022. "Choice of higher education in India and its determinants," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 237-251, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijoeps:v:16:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s42495-021-00077-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s42495-021-00077-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sonalde Desai & Veena Kulkarni, 2008. "Changing educational inequalities in india in the context of affirmative action," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(2), pages 245-270, May.
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    5. Matthew Wiswall & Basit Zafar, 2015. "Determinants of College Major Choice: Identification using an Information Experiment," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 82(2), pages 791-824.
    6. Gary S. Becker, 1964. "Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, First Edition," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck-5.
    7. Riley, John G, 1979. "Testing the Educational Screening Hypothesis," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(5), pages 227-252, October.
    8. Jacob Mincer, 1958. "Investment in Human Capital and Personal Income Distribution," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(4), pages 281-281.
    9. Arrow, Kenneth J., 1973. "Higher education as a filter," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 193-216, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Khalid Khan, 2023. "The impact of caste and religious background on participation in higher education: evidence from Uttar Pradesh in India," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 25(1), pages 70-85, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Higher education; Choice; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination

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