Demographic and socio-economic factors impacting education choice

Demographic and socio-economic profiles are contrasted between university and polytechnic students, and the influence of these factors on tertiary education decision processes is examined. It is suggested that the model of the tertiary education market used by policy makers is simplistic and indicates a lack of appreciation of the complexity of the decision process used by potential tertiary education students. The way in which factors such as demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds may intervene in the student tertiary education choice decision process is discussed.