This paper examines trends in regional gaps in higher educational opportunities after the High Growth Period and the effects of structural factors. In the 1970s, educational policies were put in place with the aim to promote equal opportunity. Currently, regional gaps in higher educational opportunity are increasing. The purpose of this paper is to provide basic findings and knowledge on present conditions to contribute to the debate on educational opportunities. As an index of educational opportunity, we use capacity and college and university entrance rates.
The findings are as follows:(1) in the 1975-1990 period, under the educational policy that aimed to spread education, gaps decreased in both indices of educational opportunity;(2) however, this decrease was the result of shrinking gaps in the three large metropolises of Tokyo Nagoya and Osaka, and educational opportunities were not necessarily expanding in the regions with the least educational opportunities;(3) after 1990, regional gaps began to increase again, due to rises in the three metropolises;(4) today, there are noticeable gaps not only among males but also among females by region;(5) the effects of socioeconomic conditions and school conditions on educational opportunities are increasing year by year. Today's regional inequalities are nearly equal to those in the 1970s when the educational policies were adopted, there is a possibility that equality of opportunities for education may become a political issue.