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University Prestige and Choice of Major Field: Evidence from South Korea

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  • Changhui Kang

Abstract

Unlike previous studies on major choice of university students, this study considers a university's prestige in their choice of a major field. This study sets up an estimation model for a joint decision about where to go to university (prestigious or non-prestigious) and what major field to concentrate. The empirical model is applied to the major-choice patterns of 4-year university students in South Korea between 1981 and 2001. The study finds that a university's prestige has a significant impact on their choice of a major field of university study. When the major-choice patterns are associated with measures of future labor-market outcomes, the probability of large-firm employment (rather than the stream of future earnings) after graduation is found to play a more important role in the decisions of a major field in South Korea

Suggested Citation

  • Changhui Kang, 2004. "University Prestige and Choice of Major Field: Evidence from South Korea," Econometric Society 2004 Far Eastern Meetings 544, Econometric Society.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecm:feam04:544
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Laurent Sovet & Miriam Park & Sungcheol Jung, 2014. "Validation and Psychometric Properties of Academic Major Satisfaction Scale Among Korean College Students," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 1121-1131, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    University Prestige; Major Choice; South Korea; Labor-Market Outcomes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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