What happens to students with an immigrant background in the transition to higher education? Evidence from Italy

As shown by the international literature on educational attainment, in most European countries participation rates of students with a migrant background are usually lower compared to natives, particularly in tertiary education. In Italy, the focus of the debate is mainly on secondary school, while little or no attention has been paid to immigrant students attending universities. This paper tries to fill the gap by providing new and extensive empirical evidence on this phenomenon and by discussing some of the main issues related to it. The results show that, first, ethnic background matters. East European and Russian students are more likely to continue their studies, as found in other European countries. Second and contrary to what is expected on the basis of the existing Italian literature, the specific secondary school track is not important for the transition choice. However, while this is true for immigrant students, it does not hold for the native population. For Italian secondary school graduates, the attainment of a liceo diploma increases the probability of enrolling in tertiary education. Third, local labour markets affect the incentive to invest in human capital. High youth unemployment rates have a negative impact on educational attainment for both immigrant and native students. Lastly, the average education level of the local immigrant population has a positive influence on transition choice.