What explains socioeconomic inequality in study abroad participation? New evidence from large-scale administrative data

David Horan, Darragh Flannery, John Cullinan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

While studying abroad as part of a degree programme is increasingly common, there are widespread concerns about socioeconomic inequalities in participation. Using large-scale high-quality administrative data from Ireland, we show that students from affluent backgrounds are 1.5 times (46%) more likely to study abroad than non-affluent students. Applying a Gelbach decomposition, we find that prior academic performance and field of study explain most of the observed difference. We also show, for the first time, considerable heterogeneity in the relationship between participation and socioeconomic status by field of study and that inequalities are much greater for high-performing students.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEducation Economics
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2025
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • decomposition
  • higher education
  • international student mobility
  • socioeconomic inequality
  • Study abroad

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'What explains socioeconomic inequality in study abroad participation? New evidence from large-scale administrative data'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this