Factors that influence university graduates’ choice of postgraduate study

Enrolments in university certificate and postgraduate programmes have grown considerably during recent decades. This study assesses the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, characteristics of the university trajectory and the salary received after graduation and the decision to pursue postgraduate studies. Data for the analysis were obtained from a survey of graduates of 11 Chilean universities during 2021. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to estimate the effect of the various characteristics. The decision to enrol in a certificate or graduate programme was associated primarily with the field of the undergraduate degree programme, family income and current salary. The decision to enrol in a postgraduate degree programme was associated with parents’ education level, field of undergraduate study and academic performance, and current wage level. First-generation university graduates and those from low-income families were less likely to continue postgraduate studies. Overall social inequality among university graduates was reproduced in postgraduate education and increased in Education and Social Sciences programmes.