Do universities contribute to reducing inequalities in the progression to postgraduate studies?

Abstract Given the increasing devaluation of tertiary‐level qualifications, some university graduates have sought to enhance their employability by pursuing postgraduate studies. However, access to such opportunities remains influenced by their socioeconomic background. This study uses Bourdieu's concept of habitus to examine the role of the Chilean university system in access to postgraduate studies. By conceptualising graduates' social background as individual habitus and university cultures as institutional habitus, it explores whether universities reflect or mitigate existing social inequalities. Data were collected through a survey conducted in 2023 with 934 graduates of 17 Chilean universities (cohorts 2015, 2016 and 2017). A structural equation model was estimated to evaluate direct and indirect effects, while also including additional controls such as gender and field of study. The results reveal that both the individual and the institutional habitus directly influence students' access to tertiary and postgraduate education. Perceived institutional motivation was also moderately associated with postgraduate enrolment. It is concluded that the segmentation of the Chilean university system partially contributes to reproducing social origin inequalities from the tertiary to the postgraduate level, conferring cumulative advantages on graduates from privileged social backgrounds. It is acknowledged that expanding enrolment opportunities at universities with greater academic distinction could foster more equitable academic and professional outcomes.