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Timing of College Enrollment and Family Formation Decisions

Author

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  • Maria K. Humlum

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

  • Jannie H.G. Kristoffersen

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

  • Rune Vejlin

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

Abstract

It is likely that the extent of progression in the educational system a effects whether or not one decides to start a family at a given point in time. We estimate the effect of enrolling in college in the year of application on later family formation decisions such as the probability of being a parent at a certain age. Using college admission data, we nd that individuals who are above the grade requirement for their preferred college program are more likely to enroll in college in a given year. Employing an IV strategy based on this idea, we nd that delays in college enrollment postpone family formation decisions. For example, we nd that the effect of enrolling in college on the probability of being a parent at age 27 is about 9 percentage points, corresponding to an increase of about 70 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria K. Humlum & Jannie H.G. Kristoffersen & Rune Vejlin, 2012. "Timing of College Enrollment and Family Formation Decisions," Economics Working Papers 2012-01, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    • Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2012-01
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    Cited by:

    1. James, Jonathan & Vujić, Sunčica, 2019. "From high school to the high chair: Education and fertility timing," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 1-24.
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    3. John Eric Humphries & Juanna Joensen & Gregory Veramendi, 2017. "College Major Choice: Sorting and Differential Returns to Skills," 2017 Meeting Papers 1623, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    4. Ulrik Hvidman & Hans Henrik Sievertsen, 2021. "High-Stakes Grades and Student Behavior," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(3), pages 821-849.
    5. Cygan-Rehm, Kamila & Maeder, Miriam, 2013. "The effect of education on fertility: Evidence from a compulsory schooling reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 35-48.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; education;

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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