Institutional Barriers And Inequality In Higher Education
Only recently, inequality in admission to higher education became subject of sociological interest. Universities use admission tests to regulate access to study courses effectively becoming the gatekeeper to middle class positions. While American research pointed out that increasing competition can advantage aspiring students from privileged backgrounds, little is known about the role of admission tests in creating inequality in access to university or choice of field of study in Germany. Generally, universities erect admission testing in Germany if demand outpaces supply for a specific field of study. Additionally, access to selected fields of studies (veterinary and human medicine, dentistry and pharmacy) are centrally regulated by a state agency (Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung formerly known as ZVS). Either the type of admission testing or the shifting level of required grades might influence social inequality in admission by selecting on capacities that are more common
among students from better-off families or indirectly through informing parenting styles years ahead of the actual point of admissions. This research tries to overcome the theoretical, methodological and empirical gap in inequality in higher education research by explaining the role admission testing plays in recreating inequality in Germany. It also aims at providing policy makers with knowledge about the degree to which different admission systems cause varying levels of diversity among students and develop best practice models to regulate access effectively and allow for higher levels of diversity.
- Sponsoring: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
- Duration: 2021-2026
Team NWG ACCESS
Dr. Florian Hertel |
Dr. Vivien Sommer |
Talke Cassing, M.A. |
Erik Schwartz, M.A. |
Marco Nieland, M.Ed. |
Alexander Goletzko Student Assistant University of Hamburg Socioeconomics 20354 Hamburg Welckerstraße 8, Raum 1.14 E-Mail: alexander.goletzko@uni-hamburg.de(alexander.goletzko"AT"studium.uni-hamburg.de) |
Giulia Hahner |
Former Associates
Dr. Theresa Büchler Postdoc |
- Duration: 2021-2026
- Sponsor: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung