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Students’ heterogeneous preferences and the uneven spatial distribution of colleges

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  • Fu, Chao
  • Guo, Junjie
  • Smith, Adam J.
  • Sorensen, Alan

Abstract

The uneven geographic distribution of colleges in the United States endows students with uneven access to colleges depending on where they live. To examine the implication of this for student welfare, we estimate a model of high school students’ college choices, allowing for rich heterogeneity in students’ preferences for college attributes. We use data on students’ enrollment decisions and application decisions—i.e., the sets of colleges to which they applied—to identify the distribution of students’ preferences, and find that place indeed matters: the expected value of applying to college differs dramatically across states and across counties within a state.

Suggested Citation

  • Fu, Chao & Guo, Junjie & Smith, Adam J. & Sorensen, Alan, 2022. "Students’ heterogeneous preferences and the uneven spatial distribution of colleges," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 49-64.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:129:y:2022:i:c:p:49-64
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2022.03.001
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