The Impact of Expansion and Contraction on the Evolution of Selectivity of Romanian Higher Education. A Descriptive Analysis Cover Image

Evoluţia selectivităţii învăţământului superior din România sub impactul expansiunii şi contracţiei. O analiză descriptivă
The Impact of Expansion and Contraction on the Evolution of Selectivity of Romanian Higher Education. A Descriptive Analysis

Author(s): Adrian Hatos, Andrea Pop
Subject(s): Sociology
Published by: Editura Eikon
Keywords: expansion and contraction in higher education; selectivity of fields of study; access equity in higher education

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates in a descriptive manner the evolution of selectivity of admissions to Romanian universities in the context of dramatic changes of figures regarding enrollment in higher education between 2007-2013. Using national and European statistical data and selectivity indicators collected from the Romanian public and private universities' webpages the authors discuss: the distribution of enrollment expansion and contraction by property of university, type of financing and field of study; selectivity indicators publication practices; the ecolution of admissions' selectivity indicators; evolutions of selectivity indicators by fields of study and types of universities. The results suggest that the expansion and the subsequent contraction were due to the inflationary demand and offer in credentialized fields of studies supplied specially by private universities. All the recorded evolutions point to a saturation of demand for these fields of study and the orientation of demand, via effectively maintained inequality towards socially more rewarding domains like medicine.

  • Issue Year: 13/2015
  • Issue No: 03+04
  • Page Range: 5-18
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Romanian