Measuring the Fiscal Influence of Higher Education: A Pragmatic Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v12i1p84

Keywords:

carreer advancement, knowledge and skills, personal development, social status, cultural expectations, networking opportunities, value for money

Abstract

In today's social and economic environment, higher education has an impact on economic growth and development. This study aims to investigate the key motivational factors influencing individuals’ decisions to pursue higher education and the anticipated financial outcomes. The research objectives focus on understanding the impact of factors such as career advancement, acquisition of knowledge and skills, personal development, social prestige, cultural norms, networking opportunities, job prospects, and perceived value for money. The study employs a descriptive and cross-sectional research design, collecting data from 427 respondents residing in select cities of Uttar Pradesh through both online and in-person surveys. The data was collected online and in person and then analysed it using SPSS and SmartPLS 4.0. The survey findings reveal that career development and employment opportunities emerge as the most significant motivators for pursuing higher education, aligning with existing literature. The study highlights the intricate relationship between higher education and personal financial success, offering actionable insights for policymakers and educational institutions to optimize the financial benefits of higher education. These results underscore the importance of aligning educational offerings with labour market demands to enhance individual and societal economic outcomes.

References

Abanyam, N. L., David, F., & Ibrahim, Y. D. (2020). The role of higher education in sustainable economic development in Nigeria: A functionalist theoretical perspective analysis. Sapientia Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Development Studies, 3(2), 276–284.

Adedeji, Segun O. & Campbell, Omolara. (2013). the Role of Higher Education in Human Capital Development. SSRN Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.2380878.

Agarwal, P. (2021). Higher education in India: Growth with challenges. Indian Journal of Education and Development Studies, 7(2), 1–15.

Allen, J., & Van der Velden, R. (2007). The flexible professional in the knowledge society: New challenges for higher education. Springer.

Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518–529.

Bataeineh, M. (2022). Toward a better understanding of prep-year students: What are the primary motives for higher education? International Journal of Instruction, 15(4), 1035–1052.

Baum, S., Ma, J., & Payea, K. (2013). Education pays 2013: The benefits of higher education for individuals and society. College Board.

Becker, G. S. (1962). Investment in human capital: A theoretical analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5), 9–49.

Becker, G. S. (1993). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. University of Chicago Press.

Benson, A. J., Li, D., & Shue, K. (2020). Promotions and the Peter Principle. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 135(4), 2085–2134.

Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood.

Brink, C., & Hogan, J. (2016). Newcastle University and the development of the concept of a world-class civic university. In The Civic University (pp. 240-256). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Bygstad, B., Øvrelid, E., Ludvigsen, S., & Dæhlen, M. (2022). From dual digitalization to digital learning space: Exploring the digital transformation of higher education. Computers & Education, 182, 104463.

Cahalan, M. W., Addison, M., Brunt, N., Patel, P. R., Vaughan, T. III, Genao, A., & Perna, L. W. (2022). Indicators of higher education equity in the United States: 2022 historical trend report. Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.

Chevalier, A. (2007). Education, occupation, and career expectations. Economics of Education Review, 26(3), 279–288.

Collins, R. (2019). The credential society: An historical sociology of education and stratification. Columbia University Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.

Dilmurod, S. (2023). The content of motivating employees in higher education. Science and Innovation, 2(11), 16–21.

Escandon-Barbosa, D., Ramirez, A., & Salas-Paramo, J. (2022). The effect of cultural orientations on country innovation performance: Hofstede cultural dimensions revisited. Sustainability, 14(10), 5851.

Fan, Z., & Beh, L. S. (2024). Individual motivation and knowledge sharing: The hindering effect of perceived costs in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.XXXXX

Farah, A. (2022). Exploring differences in academic motivation among teacher candidates in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 22(12).

Friedman, T. L. (2020). Thank you for being late: An optimist's guide to thriving in the age of accelerations. Picador.

Garagyaraghi, H. (2021). Motivational factors for low-income students in higher education (Doctoral dissertation, Saint Peter's University).

Goldstein, H. A., & Drucker, J. (2006). The economic development impacts of universities on regions: Do size and distance matter? Economic Development Quarterly, 20(1), 22–43.

Government of India. (2020). National education policy 2020. Ministry of Education.

Granovetter, M. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360–1380.

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage Publications.

Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2015). The knowledge capital of nations: Education and the economics of growth. MIT Press.

Heckman, J. J., Humphries, J. E., & Veramendi, G. (2018). Returns to education: The causal effects of education on earnings, health, and smoking. Journal of Political Economy, 126(S1), S197–S246.

Hershbein, B., & Kearney, M. S. (2014). Major decisions: What graduates earn over their lifetimes. The Hamilton Project.

Karabayev, S., Nurgaliyeva, K., Kredina, A., Bekturganova, M., & Aimagambetov, Y. (2023). Relationship between determinants of higher education and economic development: The case of Kazakhstan. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 21(1), 336–351.

Kelchen, R. (2021). Higher education accountability. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford Publications.

Koutsougeras, D., & Wu, W. (2012). Social status and educational attainment. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 26(2), 147–170.

Kuh, G. D. (2009). The national survey of student engagement: Conceptual and empirical foundations. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2009(141), 5–20.

Lauder, H., & Mayhew, K. (2020). Higher education and the labour market: an introduction. Oxford Review of Education, 46(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2019.1699714

Lee, S. (2022). The role of higher education in economic inequalities and intergenerational social mobility: Empirical evidence from South Korea and lessons from the UK (Doctoral dissertation).

Li, L., Shi, J., Wu, D., & Li, H. (2020). Only child, parental educational expectation, self-expectation, and science literacy in Zhuang adolescents in China: A serial mediation model. Children and Youth Services Review, 115, 105084.

Lin, N. (2001). Social capital: A theory of social structure and action. Cambridge University Press.

Lo, Y. H., Chang, D. F., & Chang, A. (2022). Exploring concurrent relationships between economic factors and student mobility in expanding higher education achieving 2030. Sustainability, 14(21), 14612. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114612

Maheshwari, G., Kha, K. L., & Arokiasamy, A. R. A. (2023). Factors affecting students’ entrepreneurial intentions: A systematic review (2005–2022) for future directions in theory and practice. Management Review Quarterly, 73(4), 1903–1970. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00347-y

Marginson, S. (2016). The dream is over: The crisis of Clark Kerr's California idea of higher education. University of California Press.

McMahon, W. W. (2009). Higher learning, greater good: The private and social benefits of higher education. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Min, W. F. (2017). Research on the mechanism of how education promotes economic growth. Peking University Education Review, 15(3), 123–136, 190–191.

Ministry of Education. (2021). All India survey on higher education 2020-21. Government of India. https://aishe.gov.in/aishe

Natividad-Franco, V. D., & Cruz, M. N. D. (2023). The influence of pay as a motivator on the research productivity of educators. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 23(9), 1–18.

OECD. (2012). Education at a glance 2012: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/eag-2012-en

Oreopoulos, P., & Petronijevic, U. (2013). Making college worth it: A review of research on the returns to higher education. Future of Children, 23(1), 41–65. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2013.0001

Oreopoulos, P., & Salvanes, K. G. (2011). Priceless: The nonpecuniary benefits of schooling. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(1), 159–184. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.25.1.159

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2019). Education at a glance 2019: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en

Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research (Vol. 2). Jossey-Bass.

Perna, L. W. (2006). Studying college access and choice: A proposed conceptual model. In J. Smart (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research (Vol. 21, pp. 99–157). Springer.

Prasetyo, P. E., & Kistanti, N. R. (2020). Human capital, institutional economics, and entrepreneurship as a driver for quality and sustainable economic growth. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 7(4), 2575–2589. https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2020.7.4(1)

Psacharopoulos, G., & Patrinos, H. A. (2018). Returns to investment in education: A decennial review of the global literature. Education Economics, 26(5), 445–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/09645292.2018.1484426

Romer, P. M. (1990). Endogenous technological change. Journal of Political Economy, 98(5), S71–S102. https://doi.org/10.1086/261725

Russell, L. C., Yu, L., & Andrews, M. J. (2022). Higher education and local educational attainment: Evidence from the establishment of U.S. colleges. Review of Economics and Statistics, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01184

Shkoler, O., & Rabenu, E. (2023). The motivations and their conditions which drive students to seek higher education in a foreign country. Current Psychology, 42(29), 25403–25416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04825-w

Terenzini, P. T., Springer, L., Yaeger, P. M., Pascarella, E. T., & Nora, A. (2020). First-generation college students: Characteristics, experiences, and cognitive development. Research in Higher Education, 37(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02208098

Tomlinson, M. (2008). The degree is not enough: Students’ perceptions of the role of higher education credentials for graduate work and employability. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29(1), 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425690701737457

Velichkovska, K., & Georgievski, B. (2022). The causal relationship between income inequality and educational attainment. Economic Development/Ekonomiski Razvoj, 24(4), 1–15.

Villena-Martínez, E. I., Rienda-Gómez, J. J., Sutil-Martín, D. L., & García-Muiña, F. E. (2024). Psychometric properties and factor structure of a motivation scale for higher education students to graduate and stimulate their entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-00843-7

Wiyono, B. B., & Wu, H. H. (2022). Investigating the structural effect of achievement motivation and achievement on leadership and entrepreneurial spirit of students in higher education. Administrative Sciences, 12(3), 99. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030099

Wolfe, B. L., & Haveman, R. H. (2002). Social and nonmarket benefits from education in an advanced economy. In P. E. Peterson & L. W. Ingels (Eds.), The future of schooling: Education and economic outcomes (pp. 221–250). Stanford University Press.

Wuttaphan, N. (2017). Human capital theory: The theory of human resource development, implications, and future. Life Sciences and Environment Journal, 18(2), 240–253.

Ahmad, W., & Sahin, O. (2020). Kurdistan’s economic development: Exploring the contribution of economics education. Eurasian Journal of Management & Social Sciences, 1(1), 39–50.

Ahmad, W., & D’Cunha, N. (2020). Policy challenges facing entrepreneurship education in Indian higher education: Thematic analysis. High Technology Letters, 26(10). ISSN: 1006-6748.

Xie, T., Zhu, B., Li, H. R., Xu, J. F., & Mao, Y. (2024). Educational attainment, income, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A mediation analysis based on two-step Mendelian randomization. Social Science & Medicine, 345, 116680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116680

Young, M. (2011). The Curriculum of the Future: From the ‘Traditional’ to the ‘Generic’. Routledge.

Yu, S., Liu, Y., & Guo, R. (2022). How does my family affect me? The family cultural capital impact on Chinese junior high school students’ academic achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 46, 101146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101146

Zhou, G. Y., & Luo, S. M. (2018). Higher education input, technological innovation, and economic growth in China. Sustainability, 10(8), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082710

Downloads

Published

06.02.2025

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Ahmad, W. (2025). Measuring the Fiscal Influence of Higher Education: A Pragmatic Study. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 12(1), 84-99. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v12i1p84

Similar Articles

1-10 of 417

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.