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Parental Income and Higher Education Patterns: Evidence From France

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  • Cécile Bonneau

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Sébastien Grobon

    (COR - Conseil d'Orientation des Retraites, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

In this paper, we present new stylized facts on inequality of enrollment in higher education by parental income in France. On average, an increment of 10 percentiles in the parental income distribution is associated with a 5.8 percentage-point increase in the proportion of children entering higher education. This overall degree of inequality is surprisingly close to that observed in the United States. We identify potential explanatory factors drivng comparable levels of inequality in the two countries with markedly different institutional contexts. Finally, we explore a consequence of enrollment disparities by assessing the distribution of public spending on higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Cécile Bonneau & Sébastien Grobon, 2023. "Parental Income and Higher Education Patterns: Evidence From France," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-03573453, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-03573453
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-03573453v3
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    2. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2023. "La mobilité intergénérationnelle de revenus en France : une analyse comparative et géographique," Institut des Politiques Publiques halshs-04439127, HAL.
    3. Kenedi, Gustave & Sirugue, Louis, 2023. "Intergenerational income mobility in France: A comparative and geographic analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Higher education; Parental Income; Expenditures; Human Capital; Resource Allocation; France; Enseignement supérieur; Revenu des parents; Capital humain; Allocation des ressources;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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