The efficiency of higher education institutions and systems

This chapter deals with the analysis of the efficiency of HE systems and institutions, in a public economics perspective. In the first part, some data about public resources allocated to HE in recent years are presented, with a comparative perspective across time and countries. In the light of data analysis, a theoretical framework is presented, in which the imperative of “doing more with less” is at the centre of the public and academic debate on the topic. The second part of the chapter illustrates the main methodological approaches used in the literature for assessing the efficiency of higher education systems and institutions. The third part is dedicated to a systematic analysis of the state-of-the-art of the empirical literature, with a synthesis of the evidence contained in major studies about the efficiency of HE systems and institutions, as recently conducted in various areas of the world. The fourth part concludes the chapter, also including suggestions for future research lines in the field.