The market segmentation of higher education in Colombia reveals social inequalities

• Published in: Cogent education Vol. 8; no. 1
• Main Authors: Lozano, Frederick Andrés Mendoza, Cruz Pulido, Julian Mauricio, García Rodríguez, José Félix
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Cogent 01-01-2021; Cogent OA; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Access to Education; B410; Colombia; Data mining; Economic Factors; education market; Educational research; Equal Education; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; I210; Inequality; M310; Private Education; Public Education; Social Differences; Colombia
• ISSN: 2331-186X; 2331-186X
• DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2021.1877885

In a scenario of significant growth in the supply and demand of higher education programmes in Colombia, this study proposes a modelling system based on data mining techniques to characterise this market after obtaining quality information about first-term students. The research uses a sample of 3548 programmes in Colombia, which represents 50% of higher education students in the period between 2012 and 2014. It is concluded that the private higher education reproduces social inequalities in the sense that it restricts by the way of costs, the access to the high-quality supply and avoid the best students to be received there. The modelling strategy creates an instrument that allows visualisation and locating of each microdata (academic programme) in a segmentation based on academic and socio-economic variables which converts the result of the research into an academic portfolio management tool for higher education institutions.