Not All Education Is Created Equal: How Choice of Academic Major Affects the Racial Salary Gap

David McClough and Mary Ellen Benedict

The American Economist, 2017, vol. 62, issue 2, 184-205

Abstract: Using 48,403 observations from the National Survey of College Graduates, this article examines the racial salary disparity between Black and White college graduates. We find that academic major and first higher education institution influence one’s final occupation, which in turn affects the salary disparity between Blacks and Whites. We suggest that public policy builds awareness among high school students aspiring for college of the importance of preparing for specific academic majors that lead to occupations expected to maintain an earnings premium.

Keywords: education; college major; race; wages; discrimination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I26 J15 J16 J31 J70 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:amerec:v:62:y:2017:i:2:p:184-205

DOI: 10.1177/0569434516683029

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