University quality and financial sustainability in Chile: a bibliometric and critical analysis based on the neutrosophic perspective

Abstract

This paper presents a bibliometric and critical analysis of the relationship between academic quality and the financial sustainability of higher education institutions in Chile, considering the impact of the social challenges facing Latin America, which jointly affect equity in access, institutional stability, and standards of excellence. To this end, 63 publications indexed in international databases between 2010 and 2025 were examined, applying a methodological strategy based on the identification of positions using neutrosophic tools. The findings highlight the risks associated with a heavy dependence on student enrollment, as well as the benefits derived from diversifying funding sources. They also highlight the importance of governance, student retention, and teacher qualifications as pillars of academic and economic sustainability. External factors, such as demographic decline and increased competition in the sector, are identified as additional threats. The research incorporates neutrosophic triplets (T, I, F) to measure the levels of consensus, indeterminacy, and contradiction present in the analyzed literature. Finally, the study's conclusions demonstrate consistency with the results obtained, consolidating and validating patterns previously recognized in the state of the art.