Higher education, gender and economic growth: The case of Türkiye

This paper examines the impact of higher education on economic growth in Türkiye from 1983 to 2022, using data categorized by education level (vocational, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and open/non-open). The analysis first evaluates the overall impact of graduates on economic growth and then explores gender-specific effects at the education level. Advanced econometric methods—FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR—are employed to ensure the robustness and reliability of the results by addressing potential estimation issues. Results show that graduates, particularly from bachelor’s, doctorate, and vocational programs, significantly contribute to economic growth. At the gender level, female graduates have the greatest impact in open education, while male graduates contribute more strongly through vocational education. By focusing specifically on Türkiye, this study fills a gap in the literature and highlights the importance of gender-sensitive policies and targeted support for open and vocational education to foster inclusive and sustainable economic development.