Do spatial inequalities explain social disparities in mismatch in Chilean higher education?

Socially disadvantaged students entering higher education often enrol in less selective programs than they could aim for, resulting in diminished labour market outcomes. Drawing from administrative data on first-year entrants to higher education in Chile in 2018, this study addresses socioeconomic disparities in the mismatch between students' academic achievement and the labour market outcomes of their degrees, focusing on the role of geographic proximity. The uneven geographic access to degrees aligning with students' achievement is critical to understanding the high socioeconomic disparities in Chilean higher education. I show that these disparities would remain practically unchanged even if students enrolled in their best-matched degrees within 50 kilometres of their locality. Moreover, I find no socioeconomic disparities between students with nearby matching degrees, whereas high differences arise between students residing far away from suitable options. This study highlights the geographical challenges in addressing mismatch disparities in a high-participation higher education system.