HETEROGENEITY IN MARGINAL NON-MONETARY RETURNS TO HIGHER EDUCATION

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kamhoefer, Daniel A.; Schmitz, Hendrik; Westphal, Matthias
• 署名单位: University of Paderborn; University of Duisburg Essen; Leibniz Association; RWI - Leibniz Institut fur Wirtschaftsforschung
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1542-4766
• DOI: 10.1093/jeea/jvx058
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 205-244
• 关键词: instrumental variables; life expectancy; self-selection; college; benefits; smoking; models; HEALTH; memory; draft

摘要

In this paper we estimate the effects of college education on cognitive abilities, health, and wages, exploiting exogenous variation in college availability. By means of semiparametric local instrumental variables techniques we estimate marginal treatment effects in an environment of essential heterogeneity. The results suggest positive average effects on cognitive abilities, wages, and physical health. Yet, there is heterogeneity in the effects, which points toward selection into gains. Although the majority of individuals benefits from more education, the average causal effect for individuals with the lowest unobserved desire to study is zero for all outcomes. Mental health effects, however, are absent for the entire population.