ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sociol.
Sec. Sociology of Stratification
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1585910
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Social Stratification Dynamics: Insights from Longitudinal Survey DataView all articles
Educational trajectories within and beyond the core education phase in Switzerland: A sequence analysis based on SHP data 1999-2023
Provisionally accepted
- Université de Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Switzerland's educational expansion has lagged behind other industrialised countries, with fewer youths attending upper secondary schools and attaining tertiary education. This paper examines individual educational trajectories over a long period, considering later achievements and higher vocational qualifications. It also identifies inequalities in educational trajectory patterns based on social and migration background, as well as gender. Using Swiss Household Panel (SHP) data from 1999 to 2023, the sample includes 2,580 individuals born between 1939 and 1983. Results show an extended education phase over time, with increased higher education and vocational training. Fewer individuals completed their education by age 21 in the 1969-83 cohort compared to earlier cohorts. Three clusters were identified for the 1939-53 cohort, six for the 1954-68 cohort, and three again for the 1969-83 cohort, indicating diversification. Educational trajectory patterns vary significantly among different social groups, highlighting profound inequalities.
Keywords: Educational trajectories, Educational inequalities, Educational expansion, Sequence Analysis, Switzerland
Received: 01 Mar 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Edler and Hadjar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Andreas Hadjar, Université de Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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