Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Technological Access In Higher Education: A Case Study of Uleam Ecuador

Access to technology is a fundamental determinant of academic success in higher education. This study investigates the impact of socioeconomic fac-tors on technological access at the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí (ULEAM), employing a quantitative approach rooted in the Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) methodology. A compre-hensive dataset of student records (2020–2023) was analyzed, supplement-ed by structured surveys focusing on household income, parental educa-tion, and digital infrastructure. Data mining techniques, including Bivariate Correlation (Pearson and Spearman) and K-means Clustering, were imple-mented using Python and Power BI to identify latent patterns of inequality. The results reveal a pronounced digital gap: while 70% of students possess smartphones, only 35% have access to laptops or tablets—a disparity strongly correlated with household income (r=0.65). Furthermore, a signifi-cant correlation (0.69) was identified between active financial debt and in-tensive Learning Management System (LMS) engagement, suggesting that economically vulnerable students rely on institutional digital platforms as a primary academic lifeline. The K-means algorithm successfully segmented the student body into three distinct profiles (High, Medium, and Low Ac-cess), while classification models achieved an accuracy above 85%, demon-strating high predictive reliability. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted institutional policies, including hardware subsidies, con-nectivity scholarships for vulnerable clusters, and enhanced campus infra-structure. Implementing these data-driven strategies is essential to mitigate the digital divide and ensure inclusive, equitable, and high-quality educa-tion in the post-pandemic landscape.