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The Graduation Shift of German Universities of Applied Sciences

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  • Lutz Bornmann
  • Klaus Wohlrabe
  • Sabine Gralka

Abstract

In research into higher education, the evaluation of completion and dropout rates has generated a steady stream of interest for decades. While most studies only calculate quotes using student and graduate numbers for both phenomena, we propose to also consider the budget available to universities. We transfer the idea of the excellence shift indicator [1] from the research to the teaching area, and particularly to the completion rate of educational entities. The graduation shift shows institutions’ ability to produce graduates as measured against their basic academic teaching efficiency. The new indicator avoids the well-known heterogeneity problem in efficiency measurements. Their politically determined focus on education makes German universities of applied science the perfect sample for evaluating the graduation shift. Using a comprehensive dataset covering the years 2008 to 2013, we show that the shift produces results, which correlate closely with the results of the standard Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and graduation rates. Thus, we recommend the graduation shift as an alternative method of efficiency measurement in the teaching area. Compared to the DEA, the computation of the shift is easy, the shift is robust and non-economists can understand its results. We outline some limitations of the graduation shift.

Suggested Citation

  • Lutz Bornmann & Klaus Wohlrabe & Sabine Gralka, 2018. "The Graduation Shift of German Universities of Applied Sciences," ifo Working Paper Series 268, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ifowps:_268
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maria Olivares & Heike Wetzel, 2014. "Editor's Choice Competing in the Higher Education Market: Empirical Evidence for Economies of Scale and Scope in German Higher Education Institutions," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 60(4), pages 653-680.
    2. Geraint Johnes & Astrid Schwarzenberger, 2011. "Differences in cost structure and the evaluation of efficiency: the case of German universities," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(5), pages 487-499, January.
    3. Tommaso Agasisti & Sabine Gralka, 2019. "The transient and persistent efficiency of Italian and German universities: a stochastic frontier analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(46), pages 5012-5030, October.
    4. Gerhard Kempkes & Carsten Pohl, 2010. "The efficiency of German universities-some evidence from nonparametric and parametric methods," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(16), pages 2063-2079.
    5. Johnes, Geraint & Johnes, Jill, 2009. "Higher education institutions' costs and efficiency: Taking the decomposition a further step," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 107-113, February.
    6. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.
    7. Maria Olivares & Heike Wetzel, 2011. "Competing in the Higher Education Market: Empirical Evidence for Economies of Scale and Scope in German Higher Education Institutions," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0070, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    8. Tommaso Agasisti & Antonio Dal Bianco, 2009. "Measuring efficiency of Higher Education institutions," International Journal of Management and Decision Making, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(5/6), pages 443-465.
    9. Zoghbi, Ana Carolina & Rocha, Fabiana & Mattos, Enlinson, 2013. "Education production efficiency: Evidence from Brazilian universities," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 94-103.
    10. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
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    12. Sabine Gralka, 2018. "Persistent inefficiency in the higher education sector: evidence from Germany," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(4), pages 373-392, July.
    13. Lutz Bornmann & Klaus Wohlrabe & Felix Moya Anegon, 2017. "Calculating the excellence shift: How efficiently do institutions produce highly cited papers?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(3), pages 1859-1864, September.
    14. Mehdi Rhaiem, 2017. "Measurement and determinants of academic research efficiency: a systematic review of the evidence," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(2), pages 581-615, February.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate
    • 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
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis

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