Análisis económico de la demanda de educación universitaria y sus determinantesun análisis cuantitativo para Colombia

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to understand the forces determining the demand for higher education in Colombia. The analysis is based on robust discrete choice microeconometric models and a rich micro data base spanning the years 1981-2005. The methodology accounts for the correlation of the unobserved heterogeneity of high school students and their decision to engage in postsecondary studies. In particular, I am concerned about the fact that high school graduates are a selected sample of the population with unobserved skills that are correlated with their choice of higher education. The dissertation has four parts: First, I present a literature review, followed, in the second part, by an analysis of the environment and the institutional background. Third, I estimate a model of demand for secondary and postsecondary education. Fourth, I discuss and correct the problem of sample selection implied by the fact that a high school degree is a prerequisite for higher levels of education.