Why Study at a Mature Age? An Analysis of the Private Returns to Universtity Education in Australia

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Why Study at a Mature Age? An Analysis of the Private Returns to Universtity Education in Australia

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Andrew D. Colegrave () (Department of Economics, The University of Western Australia)

Abstract

Using data from the 2001 Australian Census of Population and Housing, this article estimates private rates of return to university education at the bachelor degree level for males and females, and determines the age threshold when studying for university qualifications becomes no longer worthwhile. Employing a methodology analogous to Borland (2002), the results indicate that the rates of return for individuals undertaking three year university degrees at the median commencement age of 19 years are 24.8 per cent for males and 20.6 per cent for females; and that returns continue to outperform share market investments right up until males begin their studies in their late thirties and females, much later, in their mid fifties. This article has important policy implications for the problems associated with skilled-labour shortages and the ageing population. Greater subsidizing of tuition fees and extension of the retirement age are suggested to make the education investment of mature age individuals even more profitable.

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Paper provided by The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics in its series Economics Discussion / Working Papers with number 06-11.

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Length: 30 pages
Date of creation: 2006
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Handle: RePEc:uwa:wpaper:06-11

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This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

NEP-AGE-2007-05-12 (Economics of Ageing)
NEP-ALL-2007-05-12 (All new papers)
NEP-EDU-2007-05-12 (Education)
NEP-SOG-2007-05-12 (Sociology of Economics)

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

Sveinbjörn Blöndal & Simon Field & Nathalie Girouard, 2002. "Investment in Human Capital Through Post-Compulsory Education and Training: Selected Efficiency and Equity Aspects," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 333, OECD, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
Jacob Mincer, 1958. "Investment in Human Capital and Personal Income Distribution," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66, pages 281. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Chia, Tai-Tee, 1991. "Has the Value of a Degree Fallen? Cross-Sectional versus Time-Series Evidence," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 0(0), pages 41-52, Supplemen.
Chapman, B & Salvage, T, 1997. "The Consequences of Recent Changes in Financing for Australian Higher Education," CEPR Discussion Papers 367, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University.
Jeff Borland, 2002. "New Estimates of the Private Rate of Return to University Education in Australia," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2002n14, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
Productivity Commission, 2005. "Economic Implications of an Ageing Australia," Labor and Demography 0506001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]

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