The demand for higher education.

Abstract

The primary objective is to find the most effective influences on the demand for higher education. To do so it is necessary to attempt to measure the effect of several factors on enrollment, but there are so many difficulties involved that a measurement of the quantity of demand is impractical. Higher education is an especially involved type of service, not only because it is held apart from the usual market conditions, but because of its great diversity and the fact that it is offered for sale in several different ways, to direct consumers such as students and indirect consumers who do not use the services themselves but help pay for them because they are believed beneficial to the community. Much of this complexity is avoided by omitting large areas such as the demand by indirect consumers and the differences in demand for different types of institutions, course offerings, and degree programs. An attempt is made, however, to at least identify as many different aspects of the demand picture as possible. [TRUNCATED]