Countries included in this analysis, while diverse, share common socio-historical and cultural experiences, which allow for the identification of some recurring features in the evolution of their educational systems. Similarities, in particular, concern the intertwining between religiously based traditional education, the impact of colonialism, and the foundation of national systems of higher education. Currently, the educational environments of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia are characterized by the pluralization of educational choices, each of them also linked to various race, gender, and class divides. An additional common feature of higher education systems in these countries concerns the recruitment processes of the academic staff: though universities may be granted more institutional autonomy or the systems are more centralized, in each of these countries, academic recruitment implies political involvement. This raises a reflection on the extent to which social networks can impact faculties’ career outcomes. Moreover, during the last fifty years, South Mediterranean Arab governments have adopted several provisions aiming at promoting women’s social, economic, and educational inclusion. While these policies have been beneficial, women continue to face considerable challenges. Gender stereotypes still negatively impact the possibility for women to turn high educational attainments into a larger representation in the job market. A persistent gender imbalance is still present in higher education institutions, where men still dominate high rank positions, whereas female representation is higher in lower academic ranks, particularly among PhD students, researcher, and fixed-term teaching staff.