The efficiency of German universities–some evidence from nonparametric and parametric methods
- 1 June 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Applied Economics
- Vol. 42 (16), 2063-2079
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00036840701765361
Abstract
Due to tight public budget constraints, the efficiency of publicly financed universities in Germany is receiving increasing attention in the academic as well as in the public discourse. Against this background, we analyse the efficiency of 72 public German universities for the years 1998–2003, applying data envelopment and stochastic frontier analysis. Contrary to earlier studies, we account for the faculty composition of universities which proves to be an essential element in the efficiency of higher education. Our main finding is that East German universities have performed better in total factor productivity change compared to those in West Germany. However, when looking at mean efficiency scores over the sample period, West German universities still appear at the top end of relative efficiency outcomes.Keywords
Other Versions
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Measuring the efficiency of British universities: a multi‐period data envelopment analysisEducation Economics, 2004
- Returns to scale in different DEA modelsEuropean Journal of Operational Research, 2004
- The efficiency of Australian universities: a data envelopment analysisEconomics of Education Review, 2003
- Stochastic frontier estimation of a CES cost function: the case of higher education in BritainEconomics of Education Review, 2002
- Accounting for Environmental Influences in Stochastic Frontier Models: With Application to International AirlinesJournal of Productivity Analysis, 1999
- Assessing the Comparative Efficiency of Higher Education Institutions in the UK by the Means of Data Envelopment AnalysisEducation Economics, 1997
- Costs and Industrial Structure in Contemporary British Higher EducationThe Economic Journal, 1997
- Research funding and performance in U.K. University Departments of Economics: A frontier analysisEconomics of Education Review, 1995
- A model for technical inefficiency effects in a stochastic frontier production function for panel dataEmpirical Economics, 1995
- Frontier production functions, technical efficiency and panel data: With application to paddy farmers in IndiaJournal of Productivity Analysis, 1992