The Distribution of Lifetime Earnings Returns to College

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2017
Volume: 35
Issue: 4
Pages: 903 - 952

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

I use Swedish registry data to estimate lifetime earnings returns to college and how they vary with observed and unobserved characteristics. The richness of the data also allows me to examine heterogeneity with respect to cognitive and noncognitive ability and parental earnings. Local instrumental variable analysis is used to recover marginal and average treatment effects under selection on gains. The findings support the notion of self-selection, but mainly on observed characteristics. Returns vary little with parental earnings but substantially with respect to both cognitive and noncognitive ability, thus suggesting important complementarities between formal schooling and informal skills.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/692475
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26