Classification of National and Private Universities’ Financial Expenditure Patterns: A Comparative Study of University and Private Accounting Systems

The purpose of this study is to empirically classify the types of financial operations in higher education institutions by comparing and analyzing the expenditure structures of national universities' university accounts and private universities' educational accounts, using settlement data from 2016 to 2022. To address the limitations of previous studies that primarily focused on static comparisons, this study applies a time series clustering method using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) to examine changes in expenditure patterns over time. The results reveal that while national universities commonly exhibit expenditure structures centered on personnel costs, some institutions belong to single clusters characterized by high capital investment. In contrast, private universities tend to concentrate expenditures on student education, external scholarships, and faculty salaries, showing a strategic focus rather than a balanced allocation across items. These findings suggest that despite institutional and accounting differences, higher education institutions exhibit common patterns in their expenditure functions. This study provides foundational insights for designing differentiated financial support systems, improving accounting frameworks, and establishing fiscal strategies tailored to university types.