Higher education in Europe and the Bologna Process

1. Higher education in Europe and the Bologna Process Key indicators on the social dimension and mobility Inna Steinbuka Director Eurostat

2. Following the request of the London Ministerial conference • Joint venture between • Eurostat (on behalf of European Commission) • HIS (on behalf of EUROSTUDENT network) • Production of report assessed and supervised by working group for data collection set up by the Bologna Follow-Up Group

3. Four topics covered Study framework 4 indicators Graduation 5 indicators Access to higher education 5 indicators Widen access Effective outcomes Mobility 4 indicators

4. Are the key indicators comparable? • For EU countries: use of existing Community comparable data • Non EU Bologna participating countries: partial coverage based on voluntary delivery of data and some existing international data collection

5. Widening access

6. Widening access • Access is mostly “traditional”: entry at university after general secondary school • Gender gap has been basically bridged • But not in science • Very significant but decreasing role of socio-economic background • 17% of persons with parents with only primary education manage to access and complete higher education

7. Study framework

8. Study framework • Funding of education system varies between countries • Public expenditure on higher education: less than 0.8% of the GDP in RU, IT, AM, AD, LI, BG and more than 1.5% in DK, FI, CY, SE • Share of private funding: less than 10% in BE,DK,EL,AT,FI,IS,AD and more than 35% in BG, CY, LV, RO • Public financial aid to students: • Grants: more than 20% of the public expenditure in DK, CY, SI • repayable loans: more than 15% of the public expenditure in NL, SE, UK, IS, NO • … and has effects on student income, coming mainly • From state support (NL, FI, SE, UK); • From family or partner (IE, PT, RO, SI); • From paid job (CZ, EE, ES, LV, SK); • Equally from family/partner and paid job (LT, AT, CH);

9. International mobility • Various forms of international mobility: degree-mobility, credit-mobility, programme-mobility, free-movers • Currently, no statistical data about student mobility over the duration of their curriculum • According to the restricted definition used in the report, data show a relatively modest share of foreign students that is increasing: • yearly growth of 5% over the period 2000 - 2006 • Mobility is an area where more statistical data are requested by policy makers

10. Effective outcome For 20% of graduates: probable mismatch between qualification and level of employment Last data for 2008 EU27 16.5% 8.3% 5.8%

11. Final remarks and future work • Current strengths • Reliable and policy relevant international data • On education system (schools, universities) • On education attainment in the population • Complemented by Eurostudent indicators on living conditions of students • Challenges: • Mobility • Information on the background of students • Identification of bachelors vs masters students • Commitment of participating countries is crucial to improve the system of statistical indicators