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L’effet du coût des études supérieures sur les choix de filières stratégiques, scientifiques et mathématiques au Québec et au Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Belzil
  • Jörgen Hansen
  • Julie Pernaudet
Abstract
Do policies favouring low tuition fees have an effect on enrolment in scientific and quantitative fields of study? We estimate the causal effect of a change in the cost of higher education and separate the compositional effects, measured by the differences in skills between students attracted to university because of the lower costs, from the structural (or behavioural) effects measured by the changes in university stream induced by this same reduction. Our results indicate that any expansion of the university system induced by new students attracted by a reduction in costs would contribute to changing the distribution of the fields of study chosen and in particular to reducing the proportion of STEM students, but would also reduce the propensity of students already enrolled to choose the STEM field. Une politique favorisant de faibles frais de scolarité a-t-elle un effet sur la fréquentation des filières scientifiques et quantitatives ? Nous estimons l’effet causal d’une variation des coûts des études supérieures et séparons les effets de composition, mesurés par les différences de compétences entre les étudiants attirés par l’université à cause de la baisse des coûts, des effets structurels (ou comportementaux) mesurés par les changements de filière universitaire induits par cette même baisse. Nos résultats indiquent que toute expansion du système universitaire induite par de nouveaux étudiants attirés par une réduction des coûts, contribuerait à changer la répartition des filières choisies et en particulier à diminuer la proportion d’étudiants STIM, mais réduirait aussi la propension des étudiants déjà inscrits à choisir la filière STIM.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Belzil & Jörgen Hansen & Julie Pernaudet, 2025. "L’effet du coût des études supérieures sur les choix de filières stratégiques, scientifiques et mathématiques au Québec et au Canada," CIRANO Project Reports 2025rp-05, CIRANO.
    • Handle: RePEc:cir:cirpro:2025rp-05
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    References listed on IDEAS

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