Geografie 2018, 123, 201-224
Determinants of choice of the place of university study in Slovakia
Growth of human capital is one of the main drivers of regional development. Regions that are able to attract students from other regions, and retain university graduates, derive the greatest benefit from human capital accumulation. This paper aims to explore the determinants for regional migration of Slovak students when pursuing higher education. Individual micro-data from the 2011 census in Slovakia were used, along with the socio-economic characteristics of home regions and higher education locations. The results of a spatial discrete choice model, based on logistic regression, indicate that the main factors pushing to study outside the domestic region are unfavorable socio-economic characteristics in their domestic region, coupled with students’ attraction towards better socio-economic conditions, amenities of other regions, and higher quality of education. Women and individuals from more peripheral parts of a region are also more likely to study outside their home region.
