Impact of COVID-19 on higher education for a developing country: Evidence from Uruguay

Abstract

This article provides empirical evidence about the effects of COVID-19 on university students' educational outcomes in the first year of enrollment for a developing country, Uruguay. To do this, we use administrative microdata from the public university students from 2017 to 2020. Our findings show that students enrolled in 2020 are more likely to drop out but are more prone to obtain higher scores than previous generations. These effects are more pronounced for boys and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, using survey data, we find that the lack of access to bibliographic material, the lack of interaction with teachers and students, and not having adequate resources is associated with a reduction in the number of approved courses, a less average score, and enrollment in fewer courses. Moreover, the possibility of having classes at any time, taking courses from home, and avoiding traveling time, increase the number of approved courses and the average score. The crucial role of tertiary education, particularly for developing economies, demands following the situation after the pandemic to minimize the adverse effects and take advantage of possible positive aspects. Special attention should be given to students from worse socioeconomic backgrounds to avoid increasing inequalities.