Institutional Inequality in Access to Higher Education

Thursday, 10 July 2025: 15:00-16:45
Location: SJES007 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
RC28 Social Stratification (host committee)

Language: English

Higher education is considered a prerequisite for attaining upper-class position in most societies. This session aims to complement the individual perspective on stratification by inviting research that focuses on institutional drivers of social inequality at the transition to higher education and their relation to educational decision-making. Examples include, but are not limited to, the role of college admissions systems, selection criteria, or the unequal chances of attaining eligibility to participate in higher education. We welcome both quantitative and qualitative contributions investigating institutional drivers of higher education inequality.
Session Organizer:
Florian HERTEL, Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany
Oral Presentations
Explaining Social Selectivity between General and Vocational Educational Routes to Higher Education Entrance Qualification and Access to Higher Education in Germany
Oliver WINKLER, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; Robin BUSSE, TU Darmstadt, Germany; Stefanie FINDEISEN, Universität Konstant, Germany
Socioeconomic Inequality in Post-Secondary Transitions: The Causal Impact of Admission Reforms in Germany
Elena CHECHIK, Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany; Florian HERTEL, Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany
Where Does the Pipe Leak? Educational Contraction and the Role of Educational Transitions in Finland
Lotta LINTUNEN, European University Institute, Italy; Juho HÄRKÖNEN, European University Institute, Italy; Outi SIRNIO, Finland
When a Door Closes, Who Can Access the Window? Second Chance Alternatives for Higher Education As an Institutionalized "Compensatory Advantage" Mechanism
Carmel BLANK, Ruppin Academic Center, Israel; Eyal BAR-HAIM, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Admission Restrictions and Social Inequality in Field of Study Choices: Evidence from the German Higher Education System
Talke CASSING, Germany
Distributed Papers
Theoretical and Conceptual Reflections on Higher Education Admission Regimes from an Internationally Comparative Perspective
Florian HERTEL, Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany
Wealth Follows Wealth: Stratification and Socioeconomic Segregation in Higher Education
Danilo KUZMANIC KUZMANIC, United Kingdom
The Cosmopolitan Brands of Elite Universities: Reproducing Local Inequalities on the Global Stage
Martin MYERS, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; Kalwant BHOPAL, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Symbolic Credit in the College Entrance Examination in China
Siyu LI, Aix Marseille University, France
First Generation College Students in the Age of Universalization of University in Japan
Wataru NAKAZAWA, Rikkyo University, Japan
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