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Is Investing in College Education Risky?

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  • Stacey Chen

Abstract

Attending college seems to be a profitable and affordable investment in the US. Nevertheless, a number of academically talented young people still hesitate to attend college. This puzzle motivates this paper to test for whether college education is a risky investment. To measure the riskiness of college attendance, I estimate the risk differential in earnings between college attendees and high school graduates. This paper copes with selection bias problems and distinguishes permanent earnings risk from transitory earnings risks. Evidence indicates that investing in a four-year college education is indeed risky, suggesting that, under certain circumstances, the riskiness of college attendance is an important factor in the schooling choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Stacey Chen, 2001. "Is Investing in College Education Risky?," Discussion Papers 01-09, University at Albany, SUNY, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:nya:albaec:01-09
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    File URL: http://www.albany.edu/economics/research/workingp/2001/Risky.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Harmon, Colm & Hogan, Vincent & Walker, Ian, 2003. "Dispersion in the economic return to schooling," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 205-214, April.
    2. Migali, Giuseppe, 2006. "Funding Higher Education and Wage Uncertainty: Income Contingent Loan Versus Mortgate Loan," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 740, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    3. Yubilianto, 2020. "Return to education and financial value of investment in higher education in Indonesia," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-28, December.
    4. Joop Hartog & Luis Díaz-Serrano, 2007. "Earnings risk and demand for higher education: A cross-section test for Spain," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 10, pages 1-28, May.
    5. Eckel, Catherine & Johnson, Cathleen & Montmarquette, Claude, 2013. "Human capital investment by the poor: Informing policy with laboratory experiments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 224-239.
    6. Philip Oreopoulos, 2003. "Do Dropouts Drop Out Too Soon? Evidence from Changes in School-Leaving Laws," Working Papers oreo-03-01, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    7. Migali, Giuseppe, 2012. "Funding higher education and wage uncertainty: Income contingent loan versus mortgage loan," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 871-889.
    8. Philip Oreopoulos, 2003. "Do Dropouts Drop Out Too Soon? International Evidence From Changes in School-Leaving Laws," NBER Working Papers 10155, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Joop Hartog & Hans Van Ophem & Simona Maria Bajdechi, 2007. "Simulating the Risk of Investment in Human Capital," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 259-275.
    10. Luis Diaz‐Serrano & Joop Hartog & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2008. "Compensating Wage Differentials for Schooling Risk in Denmark," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 110(4), pages 711-731, December.
    11. Philip Oreopoulos, 2006. "The compelling effects of compulsory schooling: evidence from Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 39(1), pages 22-52, February.
    12. repec:ucn:wpaper:10197/1101 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Philip Oreopoulos, 2006. "Estimating Average and Local Average Treatment Effects of Education when Compulsory Schooling Laws Really Matter," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 152-175, March.
    14. Gonzalo Castex, 2010. "Accounting for Changes in College Attendance Profile: a Quantitative Life-Cycle Analysis," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 598, Central Bank of Chile.
    15. Ali K. Ozdagli & Nicholas Trachter, 2011. "On the Distribution of College Dropouts: Wealth and Uninsurable Idiosyncratic Risk," EIEF Working Papers Series 1105, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised Mar 2011.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Schooling; Risk Differential; Risk Premium; Selection Bias.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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