A Long-Term Analysis of the Evolution of Inequalities in Access to University in Peru
I start with a description of the Peruvian University system and how the introduction of two major reforms (in 1996, and in 2014) modified its functioning by increasing the private supply, decreasing the quality of education and modifying the mechanisms of access.
To assess the evolution of social inequalities I used a pooled regression model with cross-sectional Peruvian Households data from 2004 to 2019. This data allowed me to create different measures of social background as well as to assess inequalities both, in access to university and the type of education received, while controlling for important confounders.
This paper has three major findings: 1) social inequalities remained considerable during the period analysed both, in terms of access to university and the type of university attended; 2) patterns of inequalities vary depending on the measure of social background, with students from most educated households having more chances of enrolling top universities (regardless of whether they are public or private), and students from higher income households having more chances of enrolling private universities (regardless of their quality); 3) inequalities in access to university across the time have followed two distinguishable patterns: first, during the context of unregulated expansion (2004-2012) a reduction of inequalities, only between students from middle and privileged backgrounds, and then, after the implementation of university reform (2016-2019), an increase of inequalities, favouring most privileged students.
I finish this paper questioning the mechanism of expansion of university enrolments in Peru, driven almost entirely by private offer, and highlighting the need for effective policies to improve equitable access.