Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/270557 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
CINCH Series No. 2015/12
Publisher: 
University of Duisburg-Essen, CINCH - Health Economics Research Center, Essen
Abstract: 
In this paper we estimate the effects of college education on cognitive abilities and health exploiting exogenous variation in college availability and student loan regulations. By means of semiparametric local instrumental variables techniques we estimate marginal treatment effects in an environment of essential heterogeneity. The results suggest heterogeneous but always positive effects on cognitive skills and homogeneously positive effects for all health outcomes but mental health, where the effects are around zero throughout. We find that likely mechanisms of positive physical health returns are effects of college education on physically demanding activities on the job and health behavior such as smoking and drinking while mentally more demanding jobs might explain the skill returns.
Subjects: 
Returns to higher education
cognitive abilities
health
marginal treatment effect
JEL: 
C31
H52
I12
I21
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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