Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/340112 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2026
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper No. 2026/9
Publisher: 
Freie Universität Berlin, School of Business & Economics, Berlin
Abstract: 
Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this paper exploits within-sibling differences in vocational coursework credits taken during high school to estimate their effects on educational and labor market outcomes. I find that additional vocational course-work reduces four-year college attendance without affecting college graduation among those who enroll, and is associated with higher annual earnings that persist into the mid-thirties. This evidence suggests that vocational education helps students realize their comparative advantage and sort into different educational paths, which benefit their labor market outcomes. The findings point to high school vocational education providing sustained economic benefits without compromising overall educational attainment, and benefiting students with diverse educational trajectories.
Subjects: 
Vocational Education
Career and Technical Education
Labor Market Outcomes
Human Capital
NLSY97
JEL: 
21
I28
J24
J26
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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