Access to higher education has become something of a national obsession in Egypt in recent
years as exemplified by the high levels of anxiety over the thanaweya amma exams (at the end of
general secondary school) every year. The stakes are high not only for the young people involved
and their families, but also for the future development and well-being of Egyptian society. In an
increasingly knowledge-based economy in a competitive and globalized world, who gets access
to higher education and the quality of education they receive can spell the difference between
success and failure. Moreover, social mobility and equality of opportunity depend in great part
on equitable and meritocratic access to education. The objective of this paper is to explore the
social, economic, and geographic determinants of access to higher education in Egypt, the
differential rates of progression within the higher education system, and the social attitudes and
opinions of university students and graduates.
Egypt’s system is theoretically egalitarian—public education at all levels, including
university, is free. However, in line with past studies (El-Baradei 2009), we find that in truth
Egypt does not provide equitable access to higher education. We identify inequities in access on
the basis of family wealth, parental education, and region of residence. The ostensibly free
university is for the most part available only to wealthy families, thus becoming a regressive
subsidy, as public resources spent on higher education go disproportionately to the well-to-do. A
policy that is justified on the basis of equity ends up favoring those who need the least help. We
also examine issues of access and performance along gender lines throughout the educational
cycle. While girls are still somewhat disadvantaged at entry in schooling, the gender gap in
school entry rates is closing rapidly as efforts to enroll more girls bear fruit. Once enrolled, the
evidence clearly shows that girls perform better than boys academically, but this does not always
translate into better access to higher education. Once in college or university, girls are less likely
to drop out, more likely to graduate, and more likely to pursue postgraduate studies.
Attending university is also associated with stronger community connections and larger
social networks. Young people who attend university are more involved in society and have
more friends, especially opposite-gender friends. University attendees are slightly more religious
than their non-university peers. However, females who attend university believe that society is
more religiously tolerant than females who attain lower levels of education. University attendees
are also less likely to be satisfied with their experience in the education system than individuals with lower levels of education. Problems with rote learning in universities contribute
substantially to dissatisfaction with universities.