El retorno de la inversión individual en la educación superior privada en México

Abstract

In a dynamic and constantly more complex educational environment, one of the most frequent inquiries students and parents express is whether investment in college education corresponds to benefits obtained at the next level : at work force. One option of answer to this, is estimating the return of individual investment. Individual profits estimation takes into account education costs and benefits made by a single student: how much money is paid to receive college education compared to payback. Two methods have been more commonly used to measure investment return in education: 'Developed Approach' and 'lncome Role Method'. According to survey questions, the following objectives are related: Studying current methodologies to estimate investment return in college education to present accurate results in an estimation model with high added value. Estimating return of investment made by a regular student during his/her professional education in a Higher Education lnstitution (HEI) in Mexico. This issue is relevant in the following terms: +As a contribution to the individual rate estimation in higher education, an added value to the current model was considered, which determined the present costs value per each one of the school years in relation to the last school year, resulting in a more equitable estimation of investment. + Derived from the above, it is expected this research would result in an important contribution to the HEI, to consider responsibility towards graduates' expectations, and on the other hand, young people's decision-making moment to study a university degree. To better describe objectives, four different contrasting theories are presented in the following terms: H1: Studying a university degree represents the most profitable investment for young people, considering costs and benefits in their professional education. ls it is shown that studying a university degree represents a profitable investment to young people. The maximum profit value is of 228% and an average of 34%. H2: There are meaningful differences in the individual investment return from professional education between HEI in Mexico. Individual profit differences go from 228% to 13%. H3: Individual investment return in professional education is higher among good-quality, low-cost higher education institutions as a, reflect of costs of tuition and their fast immersion into workforce. In public HEI, maximum profit is 228%; private HEI, 66%; minimum individual profit, 1% and 0.1% respectively. H4: There is a wide difference between profits and the period of investment return depending on the university degree, as a reflect of different job offer & demand for young graduates. Maximum profit is 104% from BA in Administrative Computer Science, followed by Dental surgeon. The lower profit ones are Graphic Design and International Trade. Bachelor's Degree in Dental surgeon and Administrative Computer Science represent the shortest investment return, in only 3 years; the longest period {7 and 8 years) are Graphic Design and lnternational Trade. Finally, future research lines are the following: + The study of scholarship effect on individual return rate. + The analysis of individual return behavior by gender. + The study of behavior and link between costs and income by BA degree. +A comparative study of individual return rates between countries.