On the first day of class in her eighth year of a law degree, Natalia Villagra emerges from the subway running an hour late. Between a half-time job, and a 1.5-hour commute from the outskirts of Buenos Aires, she’s mastered the art of moving quickly without appearing flustered.

“Any young person from the [slums] could easily come to study here,” she says, acknowledging from personal experience how unlikely that is.

Inclusivity has long been a governing principle for public universities here, where the education is free and there are no entry exams. Yet, while anyone can launch their degree, few make it to graduation.

The reasons vary, from inadequate preparation in public high schools to economic hurdles beyond tuition. But the system does little to correct existing disparities, and reversing the low graduation rates may depend on emphasizing quality of education – and not access alone.  

“Anyone who enters university has a certain hope … to change their reality,” says Juan Lopensino, an engineering professor. He says fewer than 10% of students make it to graduation in his department. “With such a high drop-out rate, we are … producing a frustrated generation.” 

On the surface, Argentina’s public universities are some of the most inclusive in the world: Tuition is free, and there’s no application process, entry exam, nor caps on admission.

Inclusivity has long been a governing principle for public universities here. But while anyone can begin a degree, few make it to graduation – and only one-fifth of college-aged Argentines enroll in the first place.

The reasons vary, from inadequate preparation in public high schools to the economic hurdles of paying for books or rent while in college. Funding one’s university education is particularly difficult in a country with unusually long degree programs, which last a minimum of five and often more like nine years. 

The system does little to correct existing disparities, and the graduation rates don’t bode well for a nation struggling with brain drain and hoping to climb out of a drawn-out economic crisis. Reversing the trend may depend on creating inclusive policies that go beyond surface level, accompanying students throughout their educational trajectory, while putting more emphasis on quality and not access alone.

“Argentina was historically the country with the most educational and human capital in Latin America … which is what constitutes the real wealth of a nation,” says Marcelo Rabossi, an expert in higher education policy at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires. But that level has “long been falling.” 

“Anyone who enters university has a certain hope … to change their reality,” says Juan Lopensino, an engineering professor at the Technical University of Córdoba. He says fewer than 10% of students make it to graduation in his department. Across disciplines, the national average at public universities is 30%.