Exploring Student Mobility Trajectories in Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The contribution compares student mobility trajectories in higher education before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on a regional perspective. Italy is used as a case study, which is characterised by persistent territorial inequalities, with traditional one-way mobility trajectories from Southern regions towards Northern and Central areas. Drawing on cohort data from the Italian Student National Archive, complex network data structures are extracted and analysed through community detection algorithms and regression models to reveal how the pandemic has shifted internal mobility flows, thereby altering long-established patterns. The main findings highlight a change in internal student mobility during the pandemic. Specifically, Northern universities maintained strong attractiveness nationwide, though slightly less than before the pandemic. The analysis also uncovers new mobility patterns towards the Central regions, reflecting the emergence of new educational routes. Furthermore, the persistent attractiveness of STEM programmes is confirmed.