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Unequal Higher Education in the United States: Growing Participation and Shrinking Opportunities

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  • Barrett J. Taylor

    (Department of Counseling and Higher Education, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA)

  • Brendan Cantwell

    (Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

Abstract

This paper argues that rising institutional inequality is a component of individual-level inequality in the United States because U.S. higher education provides a diverse group of students with unequal access to different kinds of institutions. Using latent profile analysis, we classified all public and private nonprofit higher education institutions in the U.S. from 2005 to 2013 into seven categories. We held these categories stable over time and allowed institutions to move between them. “Good value” institutions were scarce and tended to limit access through selective admission. Only Subsidy Reliant institutions that were directly supported by government appropriations regularly provided good value seats to a racially diverse group of students. Yet the number of institutions in the Subsidy Reliant category declined markedly over time. The resulting system offered access to many students but provided limited opportunity to secure a good value seat.

Suggested Citation

  • Barrett J. Taylor & Brendan Cantwell, 2018. "Unequal Higher Education in the United States: Growing Participation and Shrinking Opportunities," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:7:y:2018:i:9:p:167-:d:170424
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stacy Dale & Alan B. Krueger, "undated". "Estimating the Return to College Selectivity Over the Career Using Administrative Earning Data," Mathematica Policy Research Reports d76ec29a0bbb4b1bb9d285b5a, Mathematica Policy Research.
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    7. Gordon C. Winston, 1999. "Subsidies, Hierarchy and Peers: The Awkward Economics of Higher Education," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 13-36, Winter.
    8. McMahon, Walter W., 2018. "The total return to higher education: Is there underinvestment for economic growth and development?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 90-111.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Karly Sarita Ford, 2020. "Marrying Within the Alma Mater: Understanding the Role of Same-University Marriages in Educational Homogamy," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 25(2), pages 254-272, June.

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