Article Author: Yih-chyi Chuang, Tun-Shin Li

Higher education plays a crucial role in cultivating professional talent and driving long‐term national development. In Taiwan, the historical reliance on a single, unified national examination for university admissions has evolved into a diversified admission system since the 1990s. This study rigorously investigates whether these admission system reforms have actually enhanced equal educational opportunities across socio‐economic strata. Using tax data from 2009 to 2018, we examine both the enrollment composition at top universities and the subsequent salary premiums that graduates receive after entering the labor market. The analysis reveals that, post‐reform, the proportion of students from low‐income households attending top-tier universities has declined while those from high‐income households have increased. At the same time, graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from a larger wage premium when they attend elite institutions. These findings imply a complex interplay between admission reforms, access to prestigious education, and future economic outcomes. The policy implications are profound: while the wage returns for low‐income graduates are promising, the ongoing reduction in their top‐university enrollment rates suggests that reforms should focus on bolstering opportunities at the entry point to achieve both social justice and economic efficiency.

Keywords: Higher Education; Admission Reforms; Socioeconomic Equity; Wage Premiums; Educational Opportunity; Taiwan

Article Review Status: Published

Pages: 1 - 21

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