University access and after: Explaining the social composition of degree programmes and the contrasting expectations of students

University expansion in higher education has been hierarchically differentiated. There is some concentration of certain social profiles in some degrees of study, so social composition between degrees can vary considerably. This article describes in terms of social composition 10 degrees of four publ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Higher education 2014-05, Vol.67 (5), p.637-654
Main Authors: Troiano, Helena, Elias, Marina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Degrees
Access
Access to Education
Architectural education
Ausland
Career Choice
College Programs
College students
Colleges & universities
Degrees, Academic
Demography
Education
Education reform
Education, Higher
Employment
Employment statistics
Expectation
Expectations
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Hochschule
Individualized Instruction
Lehre
Metropolitan Areas
Motivation
Parents
Parents & parenting
Predictor Variables
Preferences
Prestige
Profiles
Public Colleges
Questionnaires
Secondary Education
Social aspects
Social classes
Social programs
Social Status
Spain
Spanien
Student
Student Attitudes
Student costs
Student Educational Objectives
Student Experience
Students
Studium
Universities
University students
Vocational choice
Vocational Interests
Working Class
Young adults
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Summary:University expansion in higher education has been hierarchically differentiated. There is some concentration of certain social profiles in some degrees of study, so social composition between degrees can vary considerably. This article describes in terms of social composition 10 degrees of four public universities in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. We analyse 857 questionnaires filled in by mid-career students. From the perspective of agent's decision on the choice of studies, we explore what were the factors that made them choose a concrete degree. We examine several variables that can indicate whether their expectations have been met or not. The results show that the factors predicted by the theory by which working-class (WC) students choose degrees-instrumental motivations and conditions that minimize the risk-are often met. In this regard, the recent structural reform related with the implementation of the European Higher Education Area that removes short-cycles degrees (3 years) could lead to a problem of access for WC students. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
ISSN:0018-1560
1573-174X
DOI:10.1007/s10734-013-9670-4