Enroll in a small university: the case of Eastern Piedmont

Abstract

The study explores "To enroll in a small university: the case of Eastern Piedmont", reconstructing the problem and the main evidence developed in the text. The sample used in this work is a cross section that contains 8.737 individual observations of triennial graduates in 2010 resident in Piedmont. This probability indirectly provides guidance on the likelihood of a Piedmontese student to choose and graduate from Eastern Piedmont compared to other universities. It is also considered the school background of the student, i.e. the type of upper secondary school and the performance obtained, approximated with the diploma grade. This empirical result is corroborated by the choice made a priori to purifying the cross section of observation for which Eastern Piedmont could not constitute a choice (for example, graduates in engineering are not considered). The latter is actually a counterreform (an Italian specialty) that overturns the trend that has been affirmed in the previous fifteen years. The future developments in research include addressing the problem of endogenity that arises if the choice of secondary school is a signal for subsequent registration at university.

Keywords

University; human capital; Italy; urban economy; governance; territorial indicators

JEL codes

R58; I23; O31