Abstract

This paper presents an estimate of the prevalence of social inequality in accessing higher education among vulnerable groups in Mexico. Estimates were determined from statistical data provided by governmental agencies on the level of poverty among the Mexican population. In Mexico, the conditions of poverty and vulnerability while trying to access better standards of living as well as educational inequality continue to grow at an alarming rate. The number of poor (extreme and moderate) and vulnerable people (according to income and social need) increased from 2008 through 2010 dramatically. The number of people in this situation went from 89.9 million to 90.8 million, which represents 80.64% of the total Mexican population. Only 19.36% of the population is not considered poor or vulnerable.

The access to higher education is not distributed uniformly throughout the Mexican youth since they belong to different social and economic strata: the least developed regions carry the largest share. Consequently, educational opportunities are unequally distributed mainly across age and gender factors. A distribution imbalance is also found with regard to gender throughout the population observed and analyzed: indigenous females have a significantly higher risk of not having access to higher education than males.

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