The Effects of Education on Mortality: Evidence Using College Expansions

Jason Fletcher and Hamid Noghanibehambari

No 29423, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper explores the long-run health benefits of education for longevity. Using mortality data from the Social Security Administration (1988-2005) linked to geographic locations in the 1940-census data, we exploit changes in college availability across cohorts in local areas. We estimate an intent to treat effect of exposure to an additional 4-year college around age 17 of increasing longevity by 0.13 months; treatment on the treated calculations suggest increases in longevity between 1-1.6 years. Some further analyses suggest the results are not driven by pre-tends, endogenous migration, and other time-varying local confounders. This paper adds to the literature on the health and social benefits of education.

JEL-codes: I1 I23 I26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-dem, nep-hea and nep-ure
Note: AG ED EH
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Published as Jason Fletcher & Hamid Noghanibehambari, 2024. "The effects of education on mortality: Evidence using college expansions," Health Economics, vol 33(3), pages 541-575.

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