Peeling the multiple layers of inequalities in free higher education policies

Figures & data

Figure 1. The different tracks in higher education and their annual fees.

Note: These fees are estimates from 2010. The currency is US Dollar.

Figure 2. Data analysis steps and strategies.

Figure 3. UG studies average graduation rate per track. Source: aggregated from the MoHE database from the year 2005 to 2015.

Table 1. Student-teacher ratio for the public and private sector^a.

Years	Public universities	Private universities
2008–2009	48:1	12:1
2009–2010	43:1	17:1
2010–2011	49:1	17:1

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database from the year 2008–2010

^a This ratio covers only teachers in HE and not administration or technical staff.

Table 2. Individual courses graduation rates.

Courses	10-year average graduation rate	Standard deviations
Technical Engineering, Tourism, Islamic Law, Literature and Humanities, Political Science, and Science	Between 5.8% and 8.2%	Between two and one standard deviations below average
Law, Music, Media, Nursing, and Mechanical Engineering	Between 8.3% and 10.7%	Between one standard deviation and average
Average (10.7%)
Agricultural Engineering, Petrochemical Engineering, Public Health, Veterinary, Civil Engineering, IT, Economy, Education, Arts, Medicine, and Architecture	Between 10.7% and 13.1%	Between one standard deviation and average
Sport, Pharmacy, Dentistry	Between 13.1% and 15.6%	Between two and one standard deviation above average

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database from 2001 until 2015.

Table 3. Students/teacher Ratios for UG Studies (2001–2015).

Faculty	Student/teacher ratio (highest to lowest)	Student/ internationally trained teacher ratio	Graduation rate
Law	146:1	1614:1	Below average
Islamic Law	145:1	2631:1	Below average
Literature and Humanities	112:1	1019:1	Below average
Education	90:1	608:1	Above average
Technical Engineering	60:1	320:1	Below average
Economy	52:1	401:1	Above average
Tourism	33:1	352:1	Below average
Science	33:1	555:1	Below average
IT	32:1	209:1	Above average
Nursing	31:1	203:1	Below average
Media	28:1	467:1	Below average
Political science	28:1	137:1	Below average
Pharmacy	27:1	180:1	Above average
Veterinary	27:1	587:1	Above average
Sport	23:1	128:1	Above average
Civil engineering	21:1	441:1	Above average
Architecture	20:1	275:1	Above average
Music	16:1	167:1	Below average
Dentistry	16:1	140:1	Above average
Mechanical Engineering	14:1	320:1	Almost average
Agricultural Engineering	14:1	243:1	Above average
Arts	14:1	134:1	Above average
Medicine	13:1	208:1	Above average
Petrochemical Engineering	11:1	593:1	Above average

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database.

Figure 4. Location of public Universities before 2013.

Table 4. A comparison between city-based population and city-based access to HE (2009–2012).

Cities	City population out of Syria’s population	UG students 2009–2012 average	PG students 2009–2012 average
Damascus (capital)	8.75%	11.8%	17.3%
Rural Damascus	13.95%	7.4%	7%
Aleppo	21.5%	14.3%	11.4%
Homs	7.5%	8.5%	11.3%
Hama	8.6%	7.2%	8.2%
Latakia	5.7%	9%	13.3%
Tartous	4.45%	7%	6.9%
Deir-ez-Zor	5.75%	6.6%	3.8%
Idleb	6.65%	7.4%	4.6%
al-Hasakeh	6.6%	6.5%	3.6%
al-Rakka	4.25%	3.9%	1.5%
al-Sweida	2.5%	3.1%	3.3%
Daraa	3.45%	1.9%	6%
al-Qunetira	0.35%	2%	2%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database.

Table 5. Faculties distribution across cities and access representation (2008–2013).

Faculty/Course	Level of education	City/s where the course is being taught	Percentage of city/s population out of Syria’s population	Representation of the city’s students in the course
Media	UG	Damascus	8.75%	23.9%
Sport	UG	Homs, Hama, Latakia	21.8%	61.9%
Music	UG	Homs	7.5%	33.2%
Tourism	UG	Damascus, Homs, Tartous	20.7%	59.9%
Public Health	UG	Homs	7.5%	50%
Petro-chemical Engineering	UG	Homs and Dier-Ez-zor	13.25%	47%
Technical Engineering	UG	Aleppo and Tartous	25.95%	59.6%
Media	PG	Damascus	8.75%	41.6%
Sport	PG	Latakia	5.7%	66.7%
Law	PG	Damascus and Aleppo	30.25%	42.5%
Pharmacy	PG	Latakia, Aleppo, Damascus	35.95%	57.2%

Source: aggregated from the MoHE from 2008 to 2013.

Table 6. Percentage of total numbers of females and males accessing and graduating from HE.

Access %			Graduation %
Track	Females	Males	Track	Females	Males
Across HE (6 years)	50%	50%	Across HE (4 years)	56%	44%
UG Public Universities (15 years)	52%	48%	UG Public Universities (11 years)	53%	47%
Open Learning (12 years)	42%	58%	Open Learning (8 years)	48%	52%
Technical Institute (14 years)	44%	56%	Technical Institute (11 years)	52%	48%
Virtual Learning (12 years)	29%	71%	Virtual Learning (6 years)	42%	58%
Private Sector (6 years)	32%	68%	Private Sector (3 years)	34%	66%
Higher Institutes (12 years)	31%	69%	Higher Institutes (9 years)	31%	69%
PG Public Universities (14 years)	42%	58%	PG Public Universities (11 years)	51%	49%

Source: aggregated from the MoHE from 2001 to 2015.

Table 7. A comparison of females’ access rate in HE.

Track	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
Public Universities (PG)	40% (2001)	44% (2010)	46% (2015)
Public Universities (UG)	46% (2001)	53% (2010)	55% (2015)
Open Learning	35% (2003)	45% (2010)	48% (2015)
Higher Institutes	25% (2001)	29% (2010)	42% (2015)
Virtual Learning	22% (2003)	26% (2010)	33% (2015)
Private Universities	29% (2008)	30% (2010)	35% (2014)
Technical Institute	42% (2001)	44% (2010)	45% (2015)

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database.

Table 8. Total access percentage of male and female students in UG and PG specialisations (2001–2015).

Courses with a higher proportion of males	Courses with a higher proportion of females	Courses with a close proportion of males/females
Economy (63% males)	Literature and Humanities (61% females)	Business & Management (46% females, 54% males)
Nursing (62% males)	Education (70% females)	Media (57% females, 43% males)
Law (68% males)	Pharmacy (72% females)	Islamic Law (51% females, 49% males)
Tourism (61% males)	Public Health (71% females)	Science (50% females, 50% males)
Dentistry (60% males)	Arts (60% females)
Medicine (62% males)
Veterinary (87% males)
Political Science (70% males)
Engineering (65% males)

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database from 2001 to 2015.

Table 9. Percentage of females and males in the HE labour force.

Year	Teaching positions		Technical/Admin positions		Total labour force
	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males
14-year average	24%	76%	57%	43%	31%	69%
2001	18%	82%	41%	55%	24%	76%
2010	24%	76%	55%	45%	32%	68%
2015	32%	68%	62%	38%	41%	59%

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database from 2001 to 2015.

Table 10. Percentage of male/female students sent abroad via scholarships to study towards Ph.D.

Year	Females	Males
14-year total	40%	60%
2001	31%	69%
2009	40%	60%
2015	54%	46%

Source: aggregated from the MoHE database from 2001 to 2015.