Choice of fields of study of university Canadian graduates: the role of gender and their parents' education

被引:27
作者
Boudarbat, Brahim [1 ]
Montmarquette, Claude [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Montreal, Sch Ind Relat, CIRANO, IZA, Montreal, PQ, Canada
关键词
university fields of study; expected lifetime earnings; mixed multinomial logit model; parents' education;
D O I
10.1080/09645290802133032
中图分类号
G40 [教育学];
学科分类号
040101 ; 120403 ;
摘要
This paper examines the determinants of the choice of field of study by university students using data from the Canadian National Graduate Survey. The sample of 18,708 graduates holding a Bachelor degree is interesting in itself, knowing that these students completed their study and thus represent a pool of high-quality individuals. What impact do expected post-graduation lifetime earnings have in choosing their field of study respectively to their non-pecuniary preferences? Are these individuals less or more influenced by monetary incentives on their decision than was found in previous literature with samples of university students not all completing their studies successfully? Unlike existing studies, we account for the probability that students will be able to find employment related to their field of study when evaluating lifetime earnings after graduation. The parameters that drive students' choices of fields of study are estimated using a mixed multinomial logit model applied to seven broadly defined fields. Results indicate that the weight put by a student on initial earnings and earnings' rate of growth earnings depends upon the education level of the parent of the same gender. Surprisingly, lifetime earnings have no statistically significant impact when the parent of the same gender as the student has a university education. Results show that men are, in general, more sensitive than women to initial income variations, whilst women are more sensitive than men to the earnings' rate of growth variations. Marital status, enrolment status and the vocation identified with each field of study are influential factors in students' choices. Finally, substantial increases in lifetime earnings would be necessary to draw students into fields of study they are not inclined to choose initially.
引用
收藏
页码:185 / 213
页数:29
相关论文
共 21 条
[1]   Ability sorting and the returns to college major [J].
Arcidiacono, P .
JOURNAL OF ECONOMETRICS, 2004, 121 (1-2) :343-375
[2]   PREDICTED FUTURE EARNINGS AND CHOICE OF COLLEGE MAJOR [J].
BERGER, MC .
INDUSTRIAL & LABOR RELATIONS REVIEW, 1988, 41 (03) :418-429
[3]   What do students know about wages? Evidence from a survey of undergraduates [J].
Betts, JR .
JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES, 1996, 31 (01) :27-56
[4]   SEX-DIFFERENCES IN OCCUPATIONAL SELECTION - THE CASE OF COLLEGE MAJORS [J].
BLAKEMORE, AE ;
LOW, SA .
REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS, 1984, 66 (01) :157-163
[5]  
Boothby D., 1999, R0015E HUM RES DEV C
[6]  
Borghans L., 1999, LABOUR ECON, V6, P375
[7]   Field of study choice by community college students in Canada [J].
Boudarbat, Brahim .
ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION REVIEW, 2008, 27 (01) :79-93
[8]  
Card David, 1999, HDB LABOR EC, V3B
[9]  
DROLET M, 2005, ANAL STUDIES BRANCH, V243
[10]   The role of the option value of college attendance in college major choice [J].
Eide, E ;
Waehrer, G .
ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION REVIEW, 1998, 17 (01) :73-82