The horizontal stratification of the Catalonian university system: the role of the private university

Abstract

A marginal number of students in the Spanish university system have traditionally been enrolled in private universities. Hence, we can deduce that the social reproduction strategies of the middle and upper classes have tended to pass through the public university system. However, the data for Catalonia show that in the last decade changes have come about and the presence of students in private universitieshas increased significantly. This prompts us to explore, first, whether these changes in the university field can be explained by an increase in the prestige students bestow on private universities; and second, if the reproduction strategies of the middle and upper classes have likewise been modified. Based ona longitudinal survey following a cohort of young people aged 15 to 19 years from Barcelona, it is shown that the prestige conferred on private universities is low. As a result, students who perform poorly academically enrol at private universities more often than those who perform well, but amongthe more well-off classes good students attend private universities more than good students from lower class families. This could indicate that social reproduction patterns are changing, following a model we have called the boosting effect.