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Who actually goes to university?

Author

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  • Oscar Marcenaro-Gutierrez
  • Fernando Galindo-Rueda
  • Anna Vignoles

Abstract

Access to higher education (HE) is a major policy issue in England and Wales. There is concern that children from lower socio-economic backgrounds are far less likely to get a degree. We analyse the changing association between socio-economic background and the likelihood of going to university, using data from the Youth Cohort Study (YCS), spanning the period 1994–2000. We find evidence of substantial social class inequality in HE participation but conclude that this is largely due to education inequalities that emerge earlier in the education system. Conditional on GCSE and A level performance, we find no additional role for socio-economic background or parental education in determining pupils’ likelihood of going to university.
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Suggested Citation

  • Oscar Marcenaro-Gutierrez & Fernando Galindo-Rueda & Anna Vignoles, 2007. "Who actually goes to university?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 333-357, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:32:y:2007:i:2:p:333-357
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-006-0090-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Galindo-Rueda, Fernando & Marcenaro-Gutierrez, Oscar & Vignoles, Anna, 2004. "The Widening Socio-Economic Gap in UK Higher Education," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 190, pages 75-88, October.
    2. Dearden, Lorraine, et al, 2002. "The Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications in Britain," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 249-274, July.
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    8. Jo Blanden & Stephen Machin, 2013. "Educational Inequality and The Expansion of UK Higher Education," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 60(5), pages 578-596, November.
    9. Roland G. Fryer & Steven D. Levitt, 2006. "The Black-White Test Score Gap Through Third Grade," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 8(2), pages 249-281.
    10. Galindo-Rueda, Fernando & Marcenaro-Gutierrez, Oscar & Vignoles, Anna, 2004. "The Widening Socio-Economic Gap in UK Higher Education," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 190, pages 75-88, October.
    11. Robert Haveman & Barbara Wolfe, 1995. "The Determinants of Children's Attainments: A Review of Methods and Findings," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 1829-1878, December.
    12. P.J. Dolton & G.H. Makepeace & B.M. Gannon, 2001. "The Earnings and Employment Effects of Young People’s Vocational Training in Britain," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 69(4), pages 387-417, September.
    13. Steve Gibbons, 2001. "Paying for good neighbours? Neighbourhood deprivation and the communiy benefits of education," CEE Discussion Papers 0017, Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vignoles Anna F & Powdthavee Nattavudh, 2009. "The Socioeconomic Gap in University Dropouts," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-36, April.
    2. Benjamin Alcott, 2017. "Does Teacher Encouragement Influence Students’ Educational Progress? A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 58(7), pages 773-804, November.
    3. Carlos Giovanni González Espitia & Jhon James Mora Rodríguez & Cecilia Albert Verdú, 2015. "Corrección del sesgo de selección muestral en la probabilidad de demandar educación universitaria en Colombia," Icesi Economics Working Papers 14567, Universidad Icesi.
    4. Nadia Siddiqui & Vikki Boliver & Stephen Gorard, 2019. "Reliability of Longitudinal Social Surveys of Access to Higher Education: The Case of Next Steps in England," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(1), pages 80-89.
    5. Jake Anders, 2012. "Using the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England for research into Higher Education access," DoQSS Working Papers 12-13, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    6. Cecilia Albert Verdú & Carlos Giovanni González Espitia & Jhon James Mora Rodríguez, 2013. "Determinantes de la demanda de educación universitaria en Colombia, 1980-2010," Revista de Economía Institucional, Universidad Externado de Colombia - Facultad de Economía, vol. 15(29), pages 169-194, July-Dece.
    7. Catherine Dilnot, 2015. "A Taxanomy of A-Level Subjects According to the Expressed Preferences of Russell Group Universities: Who Does What?," DoQSS Working Papers 15-12, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    8. Carlos Giovanni González Espitia, 2016. "Nueva evidencia de la desigualdad de oportunidades en la demanda de educación superior en Colombia: 2000-2015," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 11, in: José Manuel Cordero Ferrera & Rosa Simancas Rodríguez (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 11, edition 1, volume 11, chapter 0, pages 23-44, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.
    9. Jake Anders, 2012. "What's the link between household income and going to university?," DoQSS Working Papers 12-01, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    I21; I23; I28; Higher education; Socio-economic gap; Education participation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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