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Does Private Higher Education Improve Employment Outcomes? Comparative Analysis from Egypt

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Abstract

Private players are often perceived as powerful drivers of innovation and efficiency. This argument remains untested in the field of higher education. This paper examines whether there are differences in the labour market outcomes for graduates of public and private higher education institutions in Egypt. Relying on a unique data set tracing graduates, the analysis shows that the type of higher education institution has no statistically significant effect on graduates’ job security and earnings. Ascribed characteristics of gender and parental socio-economic background, along with the sector of employment, were the key predictors of these labour market outcomes.

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Notes

  1. This has been the case despite the fact that the first modern university in Egypt, Cairo University, was established as a private university in 1908.

  2. A key exception was the American University of Cairo, which was founded in 1919 as private non-profit American institution. The sample did not include graduates of this institution.

  3. Data provided in this paragraph build on the author’s communication with the Strategic Planning Unit at the Ministry of Higher Education. The author is grateful for the support extended by this unit to the study. More recent data was obtained from the governmental website for higher education admission: http://www.tansik.egypt.gov.eg/application/Certificates/Fani/Dalel/12.htm.

  4. A key exception is Assaad et al. (2014) who looked at different labour market outcomes for graduates of public and private institutions in Egypt and Jordan.

  5. Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Data collection for this study was undertaken by CAPMAS in collaboration with the Economic Research Forum.

  6. The job security index is based on a principal components analysis with each of these characteristics receiving a weight based on the analysis of principal components.

  7. In odd-ratio modeling, less than one is the marker of a negative impact

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Public Policy and Administration Department, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, The American University in Cairo, Office Number 2076 Jameel Center, New Cairo, Egypt

    Ghada Barsoum

  2. Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Frankfurt Main, Germany

    Ahmed Rashad

Authors
  1. Ghada Barsoum
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  2. Ahmed Rashad
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Correspondence to Ghada Barsoum.

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Barsoum, G., Rashad, A. Does Private Higher Education Improve Employment Outcomes? Comparative Analysis from Egypt. Public Organiz Rev 18, 125–142 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-016-0367-x

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