Core–periphery structures in national higher education systems. A cross-country analysis using interlinking data

•National higher education networks display a common core/periphery structure.•Network centrality is determined mostly by size, as well as international reputation for the largest HEIs.•Distance has an impact on likelihood of linking and strength of connections.•Distance does not alter the core/periphery structure determined by organizational characteristics.

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the structure of national higher education networks in six European countries using interlinking data. We show that national HE systems display a common core–periphery structure, which we explain by the lasting reputational differences in science, as well as the process of expansion and integration of HE systems. Furthermore, we demonstrate that centrality in national networks (coreness) is associated with organizational characteristics, reflecting that interlinking is motivated by access to resources and the status of the organizations concerned, and that national policies impact network structures by influencing the level of inequality in the distribution of resources and status. Finally, we show that, as an outcome of the core–periphery structure, the strength of ties between two HEIs is largely determined by their individual coreness, while the impact of distance is too small-scale to alter the network structure generated by organizational attributes.