The impact of the expansion of higher education on the rate of return to higher education in Taiwan

Abstract

On April 10, 1994, 200 civic groups including over 30, 000 people marched in the streets of Taipei, and in October of the same year, the “League for Educational Reform 4/10" was established. The protesters submitted petitions outlining four main demands: smaller schools and classes, the establishment of more high schools and universities, modernization of the education system, and the formulation of a new body of law pertaining to education. These efforts led to a dramatic increase in the number of higher education institutions, which grew in number from 60 in 1994 to 144 in 2017. During the same period, however, the rate of unemployment among college graduates rose from 2.52% in 1994 to 5.19% in 2017.