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College Choice And Earnings Among University Graduates In Sweden

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  • Eliasson, Kent

    (National Institute for Working Life)

Abstract

This thesis consists of three papers that examine college choice and earnings among university graduates in Sweden. Paper [I] analyzes how geographical accessibility to higher education affects university enrollment decisions in Sweden. The empirical findings show that the probability of enrollment in university education increases with accessibility to university education. The results also indicate that accessibility adds to the likelihood of attending a university within the region of residence. Both these findings are robust with regard to different specifications of accessibility. The empirical results furthermore indicate that the enrollment decisions of individuals with a less privileged background are more sensitive to accessibility to university education than are the decisions of individuals from a more favorable background. Paper [II] examines the effect on earnings of graduating from five different college groups. The paper relies on selection on observables and linear regression to identify the earnings effect of college choice. Contrary to the majority of previous Swedish studies, we do not find any systematic differences in estimated earnings between college graduates from the different college groups. This finding does not only hold when considering all college graduates, but also when focusing on men and women separately as well as when considering college graduates in two specific fields of education. The results suggest that an estimator of the earnings effects of college choice that does not properly adjust for ability is likely to be substantially biased. Paper [III] estimates the causal effect on earnings of graduating from old universities rather than new universities/university colleges. The study compares estimates from several different matching methods and linear regression. We cannot find any significant differences in earnings between graduates from the two groups of colleges. This holds for male and female sub-samples covering all majors, as well as male and female sub-samples covering two broad fields of education. The results are robust with regard to different methods of propensity score matching and regression adjustment. Furthermore, the results indicate little sensitivity with regard to the empirical support in the data and alternative specifications of the propensity scores.

Suggested Citation

  • Eliasson, Kent, 2006. "College Choice And Earnings Among University Graduates In Sweden," Umeå Economic Studies 693, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:hhs:umnees:0693
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    Cited by:

    1. Zara Daghbashyan & Björn Hårsman, 2014. "University choice and entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 729-746, April.
    2. Gartell, Marie, 2009. "Stability of college rankings - A study of relative earnings estimates applying different methods and models on Swedish data," Working Paper Series 2009:19, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    3. Kent Eliasson & Olle Westerlund, 2023. "The urban wage premium and spatial sorting on observed and unobserved ability," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 601-627.
    4. Peter Berck & Sofia Tano & Olle Westerlund, 2016. "Regional Sorting of Human Capital: The Choice of Location among Young Adults in Sweden," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(5), pages 757-770, May.
    5. Xavier de Luna & Mathias Lundin, 2014. "Sensitivity analysis of the unconfoundedness assumption with an application to an evaluation of college choice effects on earnings," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(8), pages 1767-1784, August.
    6. Raattamaa, Tomas, 2016. "Essays on Delegated Search and Temporary Work Agencies," Umeå Economic Studies 935, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    7. Kent Eliasson & Olle Westerlund, 2023. "The urban wage premium and spatial sorting on observed and unobserved ability," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 601-627.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    College choice; earnings; propensity score matching;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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