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The (Adverse) Effects of Expanding Higher Education: Evidence from Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Veruska Oppedisano

    (The Geary Institute, UCD)

Abstract

Over the period 1995–1998 Italy experienced an expansion of its higher education supply with the aim of reducing regional differences in educational attainment. This paper evaluates the effects of this policy by combining differences across provinces in the number of campuses constructed with differences across cohorts of secondary school leavers. A sequential model of educational choices with uncertainty is derived and estimated. Findings suggest that enrollment rose, particularly among middle ability individuals from less favorable backgrounds, as well as the probability of being retained in the university system. The decline in passed exams, especially experienced in Southern regions, casts doubts on the policy effectiveness in reducing regional disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Veruska Oppedisano, 2009. "The (Adverse) Effects of Expanding Higher Education: Evidence from Italy," Working Papers 200945, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucd:wpaper:200945
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    Cited by:

    1. Luciana Méndez, 2020. "University supply expansion and inequality of opportunity of access: the case of Uruguay," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(2), pages 115-135, March.
    2. Asena Caner & Merve Derebasoglu & Cagla Okten, 2024. "Attainment and Gender Equality in Higher Education: Evidence from a Large-Scale Expansion," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(3), pages 469-530.
    3. Sørensen, Elise Stenholt & Høst, Anders Kamp, 2015. "Does distance determine who is in higher education?," MPRA Paper 74517, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Lindgren, Karl-Oskar & Oskarsson, Sven & Persson, Mikael, 2019. "Access to education and political candidacy: Lessons from school openings in Sweden," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 138-148.
    5. Kangoh Lee, 2015. "Higher education expansion, tracking, and student effort," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 1-22, January.
    6. Belskaya, Olga & Peter, Klara Sabirianova & Posso, Christian, 2014. "College Expansion and the Marginal Returns to Education: Evidence from Russia," IZA Discussion Papers 8735, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Laura Chies & Grazia Graziosi & Francesco Pauli, 2019. "The Impact of the Bologna Process on Graduation: New Evidence from Italy," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 60(2), pages 203-218, March.
    8. Oppedisano, Veruska, 2014. "Higher education expansion and unskilled labour market outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 205-220.
    9. Delogu, Marco & Lagravinese, Raffaele & Paolini, Dimitri & Resce, Giuliano, 2024. "Predicting dropout from higher education: Evidence from Italy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    10. Mendolicchio Concetta & Paolini Dimitri & Pietra Tito, 2012. "Asymmetric Information And Overeducation," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-29, October.
    11. Borsi, Mihály Tamás & Valerio Mendoza, Octasiano Miguel & Comim, Flavio, 2022. "Measuring the provincial supply of higher education institutions in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Ana Maria de Paula Morais & Silvinha Vasconcelos & Marcelo Resende, 2024. "The Market Power of Brazilian Private Higher Education Institutions: An Efficiency-Frontier Approac," CESifo Working Paper Series 11370, CESifo.
    13. Huai-Te Huang & Hao-En Chueh, 2023. "Sustained Improvement of Educational Information Asymmetry: Intentions to Use School Social Media," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, February.
    14. Massimiliano Bratti & Elena Cottini & Paolo Ghinetti, 2022. "Education, health and health-related behaviors: Evidence from higher education expansion," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza def114, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    15. Maestri, Virginia, 2013. "Promoting scientific faculties: Does it work? Evidence from Italy," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 168-180.
    16. Bratti, Massimiliano & Leombruni, Roberto, 2014. "Local human capital externalities and wages at the firm level: Evidence from Italian manufacturing," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 161-175.
    17. Dongshu Ou & Yuna Hou, 2019. "Bigger Pie, Bigger Slice? The Impact of Higher Education Expansion on Educational Opportunity in China," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 60(3), pages 358-391, May.
    18. Biancardi, Daniele & Bratti, Massimiliano, 2019. "The effect of introducing a Research Evaluation Exercise on student enrolment: Evidence from Italy," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 73-93.
    19. Biancardi, Daniele & Bratti, Massimiliano, 2018. "The Effect of the First Italian Research Evaluation Exercise on Student Enrolment Choices," IZA Discussion Papers 11302, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Aina, Carmen & Baici, Eliana & Casalone, Giorgia & Pastore, Francesco, 2018. "The economics of university dropouts and delayed graduation: a survey," GLO Discussion Paper Series 189, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    21. Nobuyoshi Kikuchi, 2017. "Marginal Returns to Schooling and Education Policy Change in Japan," ISER Discussion Paper 0996r, Institute of Social and Economic Research, The University of Osaka, revised Oct 2017.
    22. Barbara Boelmann, 2024. "Women’s Missing Mobility and the Gender Gap in Higher Education: Evidence from Germany’s University Expansion," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 280, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    23. Aina, Carmen & Baici, Eliana & Casalone, Giorgia & Pastore, Francesco, 2022. "The determinants of university dropout: A review of the socio-economic literature," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    24. Ida Lovén & Cecilia Hammarlund & Martin Nordin, 2020. "Staying or leaving? The effects of university availability on educational choices and rural depopulation," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(5), pages 1339-1365, October.

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    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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