By choice or by necessity? Spatial disparities of student mobility in the Italian higher education system

This paper presents a spatial interaction model of aggregate student flows to 78 public and private Italian universities in the 2011–22 period, providing evidence of distinct determinants for two categories of mobility: mobility by choice and mobility by necessity. Mobility by necessity is strongly associated with the cost of education and economic prosperity in the destination area, while mobility by choice is tied to the perceived quality of education and overall living conditions in the destination area. Policymakers currently handle these two types uniformly, but tailored policies could be considered in light of the amount of public funds devoted to student support. Income-based financial aid is especially relevant in the case of mobility by necessity, which is closely linked to economic constraints and territorial disparities. In contrast, merit-based instruments and greater institutional or regional autonomy in managing admissions could be explored as potential policy options for mobility by choice.