Equity in Latin American Higher Education: Dimensions and Indicators

Abstract

This paper analyzes equity indicators in higher education in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay during the stages of secondary school completion, access, persistence and graduation from higher education, and advanced human capital formation. Among the findings, note that lower-income sectors’ main barrier to access higher education is the completion of secondary school. Although higher education rates show access gaps according to the socioeconomic level, social inequality is reduced in Argentina and Uruguay when these rates are calculated among secondary school graduates. All three countries reveal higher dropout rates in the lower-income sectors and among first-generation students in Argentina and Uruguay. Low graduation, especially in Uruguay and Argentina, has a negative impact on the proportion of the adult population with complete higher education. The analysis of this indicator by socioeconomic level shows considerable inequity gaps. Finally, the set of indicators examined reveals that women in the three countries outperform men in secondary completion, enrollment, persistence and graduation rates from higher education, and in the proportion of young people with complete higher education.