Abstract
Higher education is deemed as one of the main mechanisms of social mobility in Latin America. In order to provide information on the perception of social mobility among university students, this research analyzes the influence of higher education on the perception of intergenerational social mobility by such students. This article analyzes information on the sociodemographic data from 1041 undergraduates in Cali and the socioeconomic conditions of their parents. The information presented comes from direct surveys of college students. The analysis includes a group of variables that account for students’ perception of money spending, generational progress and considerations about the economic dependence their parents will have in the future. Similarly, information on work, income, consumption levels and future salary expectations is analyzed. We have found that the socioeconomic level of the students determines the current conditions and also future perspectives. In general, students of lower socioeconomic status not only present the most adverse conditions to access and remain in the higher education system, but also their expectations for the future are lower compared to students of higher socioeconomic status, which limits the role of higher education on social mobility.
Students; Universities; Socioeconomic status; Social mobility