Analysis of the expansion of supply and demand of Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology courses in Brazil between 1994 and 2014

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the offer of courses, vacancies, number of first year and final year students in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology in Brazil between 1994 and 2014, as well as the number of applicants per vacancy and the ratio of final year students to million inhabitants. Methods: search on the platform of the Sistema de Indicadores das Graduações em Saúde (SIGRAS - Health Under-graduation Indicator System) to obtain the number of courses, vacancies and first and final year students. From these data, the ratios of applicants to vacancy and of final-year students to million inhabitants were calculated, considering the demographic census. The data were analyzed according to the region of Brazil and to the legal nature of the institution. Results: the number of courses, vacancies, first and final year students was higher in the Southeast region and in private institutions in all historical series. Since 2008, there has been a decrease in the number of courses and vacancies in the Southeast and a progressive increase in the Northeast and in the South of the country. The Northeast presented the largest ratio of applicants to vacancy in the historical series. There was an increase in the number of final year students per million inhabitants in the first decade analyzed, followed by a decrease. Conclusion: regional inequality in the distribution of Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology courses in Brazil, greater participation of the private sector and a progressive increase of the public sector are verified