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The Pathways to College

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  • Lisha Agarwal
  • Giorgio Brunello
  • Lorenzo Rocco

Abstract

We estimate the returns to college by school type using data from the Italian Participation Labor and Unemployment Survey. We find that returns are lower for vocational than for academic high school graduates in terms of employment probability (−4%), hourly wages (−3.1%), and the probability of finding the first job less than 1 year after graduation (−9.2%). The wage penalty associated with high school vocational education is lower when we consider college majors such as engineering and economics and business, for which the complementarity with the vocational skills developed in high school is presumably higher.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisha Agarwal & Giorgio Brunello & Lorenzo Rocco, 2021. "The Pathways to College," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(4), pages 554-595.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jhucap:doi:10.1086/716343
    DOI: 10.1086/716343
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Esther Oswald-Egg & Ursula Renold, 2019. "No Experience, No Employment: The Effect of Vocational Education and Training Work Experience on Labour Market Outcomes after Higher Education," KOF Working papers 19-469, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    2. Brunello, Giorgio & Esposito, Piero & Rocco, Lorenzo & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2023. "Do Classical Studies Open your Mind?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1242, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Esposito, Piero & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2022. "Educational mismatch and labour market transitions in Italy: Is there an unemployment trap?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 138-155.
    4. Oswald-Egg, Maria Esther & Renold, Ursula, 2021. "No experience, no employment: The effect of vocational education and training work experience on labour market outcomes after higher education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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