Does Tertiary Educational Expansion Contribute to Equal Opportunities and Enhance Occupational Status? a Comparison between Europe and Latin America

The aim of the paper is to analyze the factors of social stratification that influence the inequality of graduation opportunities in higher education across four countries: Argentina, Chile, Italy, and Spain. Special attention is given to age cohorts and gender, considering both "vertical educational inequality"—related to the achievement of higher-level credentials—and its subsequent impact on the attainment of occupational status.

The choice of Argentina, Chile, Italy, and Spain to investigate social stratification and inequality in graduation opportunities in higher education is grounded in three considerations. The significant migration from Spain and Italy to Argentina and Chile provides a meaningful common socio-cultural contextual framework. The comparison of two Latin American countries and two European countries allows us to examine the role of economic development in the equalization process of educational attainment across social origins. Finally, the differences in the levels of educational expansion among the four countries allow us to explore the impact of this expansion on equity in graduation from higher education and its role in occupational status attainment.

We used a quantitative methodology based on three surveys: European Social Survey (Italy and Spain, 2018), Social Structure Survey (Argentina, 2021), Longitudinal Social Study (Chile, 2021). The analysis strategy employs statistical analysis through various multivariate logistic regression models.

The initial results indicate that Italy and Argentina have experienced less educational expansion across age cohorts. The combination of greater educational expansion and higher economic development linked to reduced inequality among social classes—exemplified by Spain—leads to significant progress in reducing disparities in educational opportunities. However, the massification of higher education entails a certain reduction in its positive effect on the attainment of status (more markedly where the expansion has been greater), raising questions about whether higher education continues to be the primary channel for upward social mobility.