Measuring change in institutional diversity in higher education in Brazil

Drawing on previous literature emphasising the relationship between types of higher education institutions and institutional logics, this study investigates the impact of the higher education system expansion on the functioning of institutions in Brazil. Using latent profile analysis and administrative data from all Brazilian higher education institutions in 2010 and 2019, we estimate nine groups of institutions. We find that the shifts between groups are concentrated in private HEIs, mainly large for-profit institutions and small private colleges focused on teaching, while integrated research institutions constitute a separate and substantially elitist group, with a relatively higher degree of stability and losing ground to for-profit conglomerates. By following a multi-functional approach to understanding the degree of institutional diversity in an expanding higher education system, our study contributes to a more nuanced capture of its current dynamics and changing patterns over time.