Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/67254 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 6902
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper provides among the first rigorous estimates of the labor-market returns to community college certificates and diplomas, as well as estimating the returns to the more commonly-studied associate's degrees. Using administrative data from Kentucky, we estimate panel-data models that control for differences among students in pre-college earnings and educational aspirations. Associate's degrees and diplomas have quarterly earnings returns of nearly $2,400 for women and $1,500 for men, compared with much smaller returns for certificates. There is substantial heterogeneity in returns across fields of study. Degrees, diplomas, and - for women - certificates correspond with higher levels of employment.
Subjects: 
returns to school
community college
diploma
certificate
JEL: 
J24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
371.22 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.