Abstract

This study’s primary objective is to examine how the Chilean and Indian post-secondary systems have responded to the challenge of equity in access to higher education and the influence of some institutional measures on inclusion. Access to higher education institutions must be equitable for applicants and institutions. In the Chilean case, the relationship between access and equity is examined from different perspectives on the applicant’s characteristics, such as family income, secondary schooling, and gender. The other two views are the type of institution students select and get admission to based on the institutions’ ownership (public vs. private). The study primarily uses data from CASEN and SIES databases between 1990 and 2017. The data is analyzed after providing a brief theoretical foundation on equity and its importance in higher education. The second section delves into the data on equity access to higher education in India, focusing on the factors of caste, class, and gender. In this section, primary data was collected from reputable government institutions such as the MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development) and the National Sample Survey Organisation, spanning the period 1995–2014. Finally, the third section analyzes and compares the results of equity of access to higher education between India and Chile. Drawing from the previous discussions, the section also highlights the successful policies that can be mutually implemented in these countries for positive results. Overall, the article provides a comprehensive analysis of equity of access to higher education in India and Chile, offering valuable insights into the factors that influence the same.