The (Perceived) Returns to Education and the Demand for Schooling

Resource type
Journal Article
Author/contributor
Title
The (Perceived) Returns to Education and the Demand for Schooling
Abstract
Economists emphasize the link between market returns to education and investments in schooling. Though many studies estimate these returns with earnings data, it is the perceived returns that affect schooling decisions, and these perceptions may be inaccurate. Using survey data for eighth-grade boys in the Dominican Republic, we find that the perceived returns to secondary school are extremely low, despite high measured returns. Students at randomly selected schools given information on the higher measured returns completed on average 0.20–0.35 more years of school over the next four years than those who were not.
Publication
The Quarterly Journal of Economics
Volume
125
Issue
2
Pages
515-548
Date
2010-05-01
Journal Abbr
The Quarterly Journal of Economics
ISSN
0033-5533
Accessed
14/02/2024, 14:49
Library Catalogue
Silverchair
Citation
Jensen, R. (2010). The (Perceived) Returns to Education and the Demand for Schooling. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 125(2), 515–548. https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2010.125.2.515