Economics of Education

Module code: EC3044

Most countries around the world require their citizen to achieve a certain level of education, however the quality and availability varies widely and is very much dependent on economic, societal and cultural factors. Some countries have free education – all the way up till university- and some only up to a certain point -where students would then have to start paying for higher education. Some countries even pay students to attend universities. Is education an investment that all nations should provide greater resources towards? If so, what do they gain in return for this investment? Should different socio-economics groups have different resources available to them or should everyone have the same accessibilities?

These are just some of the questions that education economists have been tackling and trying to provide answers for. This module will give you a more in-depth look at the discrepancies and inequalities in education and how this inequality is redistributed to the following generations, and how this affects the key issues in education policy. You will also explore how going to a public vs private institution influences your likelihood of higher education and how socioeconomic factors affect quality of schooling, political support for education and the distribution of educational benefits.