Higher education (related) choices in Portugal : joint decisions on institution type and leaving home

Abstract

The aim of this paper is twofold. We want to further investigate the type of higher education institution choice using individual level data on first year students, on the one hand, and to establish the link between subsystem choice and leaving home decision, on the other hand. The analysis was performed for Portuguese higher education by means of a bivariate probit model. Results indicated gender differences in the type of higher education institution choice. Socio-economic background appeared to constrain student choices and accessibility did play a role in their decisions. When it comes to the leaving home decision, the higher the income group and the higher the parents’ literacy, the more likely students stayed at home. Students with strong preferences over leisure activities tended to leave home to attend higher education.