This work investigates the structural and socio-economic factors that facilitate or impede the continued expansion of higher education participation following the era of massification. The authors, Ben Jongbloed and Hans Vossensteyn, utilize comparative institutional analysis and policy evaluation to examine how different national systems manage the transition from elite to mass and universal access. They argue that while expansion is a primary policy goal, the sustainability of this growth is constrained by funding models, institutional capacity, and the evolving labor market demands placed upon graduates.

Experts in the field of higher education policy recognize this text as a rigorous examination of the limitations inherent in post-massification systems. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational resource for policymakers and researchers analyzing the future of university access.