Determinants of Gross Enrollment Rate in Higher Education in Indonesia From 2018 to 2024

This study aims to analyze the factors influencing the Gross Enrollment Ratio in Higher Education (GERHE) in Indonesia during the period 2018–2024. The independent variables examined include GDP per capita, population growth rate, poverty rate, government spending on education, and open unemployment rate. Using panel data from 34 provinces in Indonesia and applying a Fixed Effect Model (FEM), the study investigates the impact of these macroeconomic and social indicators on GERHE. The estimation results indicate that both the poverty rate and population growth rate have a negative and statistically significant effect on GERHE, while government spending on education and the open unemployment rate show a positive and significant relationship. In contrast, GDP pre capita does not exhibit a statistically significant impact. These findings highlight that access to higher education in Indonesia is strongly affected by social welfare factors and regional fiscal capacity, underscoring the importance of affirmative policies and government interventions in overcoming structural barriers to education access.