Contribution Rate of Higher Education: A Theoretical Model and an Empirical Analysis

The basic concept and model of the comprehensive contribution rate of higher education is put forward based on review of contribution rate documents of higher education, especially the analysis of the contribution rate of higher education economic growth. The qualitative research includes the comprehensive contribution rate of five aspects such as: economic growth, industrial structure, scientific technological innovation, human capital, and social progress resulted by higher education activities. The comprehensive contribution rate index system of higher education is designed through extraction of the representative quantitative indexes of each aspect with the conclusion that the comprehensive contribution rate of Sichuan higher education is around 7% based on the empirical analysis of data related to Sichuan higher education between 2005 and 2009. Alike throughout China, Sichuan higher education has been developed significantly recently, but its contribution rate is increased year on year. However, the comprehensive contribution rate of higher education is not high. As far as the demands of the social development is concerned, problems such as: structure imbalance, low quality and dissociation with the social development still exist in higher education, which are the key directions of the higher education reform. The paper puts forward relevant suggestions at the end of the passage.