Analysis of institutional capital investment in public higher education

This dissertation explores the capital funding of public universities and the institutional factors related to capital investment across four-year public institutions of higher education in the United States. The capital assets of a public university represent a significant investment and little research has explored this area. Focusing on institutional level factors, I seek to provide new insight into the institutional level predictors of capital investment in public universities. I explore if capital appropriations, tuition and fees, endowment level, long term debt, and FTE enrollment are significant predictors of total capital investment for public institutions of higher education. I investigate if these institutional predictors vary by capital asset type of total capital assets, building assets, infrastructure, land improvements, and construction in progress. Lastly, I analyze if these predictors vary based on institution category subsets of four-year public institutions based on the Carnegie categories of (i) very high research institution, (ii) high research institution, (iii) doctoral research institution, (iv) land grant institutions, and (v) Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU). I find that capital appropriations, tuition and fees, endowment level, long term debt, and FTE enrollment are significant predictors of total capital investment for public institutions of higher education. These institutional predictors vary by capital asset type of total capital assets, buildings, infrastructure, land improvements, and construction in progress. These predictors have a high degree of variability across the institution subsets of (i) very high research, (ii) high research, (iii) doctoral research, (iv) land grant, and (v) HBCU institutions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Reeder, Sean Dale

Contributors dc:contributor

• Delaney, Jennifer
• Baber, Lorenzo
• Hood, Denise
• Hinze-Pifer, Rebecca
• Alexander, Kern

• Capital Funding
• Public Universities
• Debt
• Endowment
• Tuition And Fees
• Enrollment
• Appropriations

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Sean Reeder

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124362

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F124362