The Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Social Exclusion in Higher Education

Samuel Ryckenberg

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of socioeconomic statusimpact in higher education and how social exclusion in higher education may be reduced. Itaims to answer which socioeconomic variables that impact a person’s decision to pursue ahigher education. The thesis also discusses how social exclusion in higher education can bereduced. The thesis practical analysis is based on data from the EU-Statistics on Income andLiving Conditions. Three countries are included in the analysis; the Czech Republic, Swedenand the United Kingdom. The main statistical methods used in the thesis are the independentsamples t-test, the Mann Whitney U test and binary logistic regression. The results obtained bythe thesis are discussed and compared to previous research conducted within the same studyfield.

Abstract:

The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of socioeconomic statusimpact in higher education and how social exclusion in higher education may be reduced. Itaims to answer which socioeconomic variables that impact a person’s decision to pursue ahigher education. The thesis also discusses how social exclusion in higher education can bereduced. The thesis practical analysis is based on data from the EU-Statistics on Income andLiving Conditions. Three countries are included in the analysis; the Czech Republic, Swedenand the United Kingdom. The main statistical methods used in the thesis are the independentsamples t-test, the Mann Whitney U test and binary logistic regression. The results obtained bythe thesis are discussed and compared to previous research conducted within the same studyfield.

Keywords

EU-SILC, binary logistic regression, higher education, inequality, social exclusion, socioeconomic status, tertiary education, university education

Keywords

EU-SILC, higher education, inequality, social exclusion, binary logistic regression, socioeconomic status, tertiary education, university education

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 12. 10. 2017

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 11. 6. 2018
• Supervisor: Kristýna Vltavská
• Reader: Martin Zelený

Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze

Master programme / field:
Kvantitativní metody v ekonomice / Quantitative Economic Analysis