| Abstract: |
In this study, I explore the relationship between the presence of a local
university in a city and university and college participation among local
youth. The evidence is drawn from Census data, along with information on the
creation of new university degree-granting institutions in Canada. Students
who do not have access to a local university are far less likely to go on to
university than students who grew up near a university, likely due to the
added cost of moving away to attend, as opposed to differences in other
factors (e.g., family income, parental education, academic achievement). When
distant students are faced with a local option, however, their probability of
attendance substantially increases. Specifically, the creation of a local
degree-granting institution is associated with a 28.1% increase in university
attendance among local youth, and large increases were registered in each city
affected. However, the increase in university participation came at the
expense of college participation in most cities. Furthermore, not everyone
benefited equally from new universities. In particular, students from lower
income families saw the largest increase in university participation, which is
consistent with the notion that distance poses a financial barrier. Also,
local aboriginal youth only saw a slight increase in university participation
when faced with a local university option. |