Public Expenditure on Higher Education

This book provides the first comparative analysis of higher education expenditure in the member states of the EC, presenting the results of a study undertaken by the Commission of the European Community as part of their study programme in the field of education, training and youth policy. It assesses in detail the indicators, concepts and methodologies used in the study, asking why public expenditure on higher education differs between the twelve member states, and discussing the definition of higher education, public vs private expenditure and the type of expenditure included in the study, as well as looking at the effect of exchange rates and purchasing power standards in comparing higher education expenditure. Descriptions of the different higher education systems and funding mechanisms are provided, analysing the outcome of the survey for each member state in conjunction with the conceptual and methodological issues, as well as an in-depth analysis of the survey results, including a spatio-temporal comparison.