Abstract:

Recent statisticsl data attest to the low diffusion of higher education among Italians (OECD 2018, Eurostat 2018). In 2017 it is estimated that, in Italy, 18.7% per cent of the population aged 25-64 holds the tertiary education title compared to 31.4% of the EU average. In the last few years some reform actions, following the Bologna Process and aimed precisely at increasing the number of graduates, have brought some positive effects, and from 2008 to 2017 in the younger cohorts (30-34 year olds) there was an increase in number of graduates of 7.7 points. However, this improvement was not enough to reach the level of the other European countries, since the possession of a tertiary degree today still only concerns 26.9% of young people against 39.9% of the EU average. The weakness of the Italian university system is not just an education issue. The university and its quality have always been connected to the appreciation of a nation in comparison with other economies and cultures. Furthermore, higher levels of education are associated with better job opportunities, higher wages, better health conditions and greater social commitment of the individual, with positive effects on economic growth and the entire community. This paper presents an analysis of critical points in Italian tertiary education and summarizes some of the main policy indications that could improve its performances.

Keywords:

Italy, higher education, reform, policy.