The socio-demographic profile of Spanish adult undergraduates: university-level compensatory policies vs life-course (dis)advantages

Abstract

Purpose – To uncover age inequalities in participation in higher education (HE) in Spain, the sociodemographic profile of Spanish adult undergraduates is compared to that of the general population of the same age group (25–54). Specific attention is devoted to differentials between face-to-face and distance adult students. Design/methodology/approach –The study is mainly based on a comparative analysis of quantitative data generated by an online survey conducted by the authors among students over the age of 25 enrolled in Spanish public universities. Concurrent secondary sources have been considered as well. Findings – Employment and family obligations appear as powerful conditioners of adults’ access to HE, their choice of study mode (face-to-face or distance) and their area of study. The possession of previous HE qualifications also appears as an important factor differentiating adult undergraduates from the general population. Research limitations/implications – The online survey is intended to reveal the main socio-demographic barriers to adult access to HE in Spain, rather than to draw a statistically representative profile of the target universe. The standard methodological recommendations have been followed to control the expected low response rate for the online questionnaire. Practical implications – The study points to the need to deeply articulate current university-level compensatory mechanisms with macro-level age-sensitive social policies. Social implications – Life course policies aimed at reducing age educational inequalities are advanced.