The return of university reputation in job applications: evidence from a field experiment in China

Xinghao Li, Jian Zhou and Yang Cai

Applied Economics, 2025, vol. 57, issue 47, 7627-7642

Abstract: It is crucial to understand the impact of education on labour market outcomes. Although previous literature has extensively documented the effect of university reputation on employees’ earnings, it lacks knowledge regarding the hiring process. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by examining whether job applicants from reputable universities are more likely to receive interview invitations in China. To investigate this causal relationship, we conducted a field experiment by randomly generating and delivering fictitious resumes to employers. The results demonstrated that applicants graduating from reputable universities were more likely to obtain interview invitations, suggesting that the university reputation exerts a positive effect on the hiring process. We showed that these results were unlikely driven by model specifications, control variables or alternative explanations. Additionally, we examined the effect of the reputation of specialized majors and discovered that their influence is considerably less than that of university reputation. This study improves our understanding of the influence of education on labour market outcomes and offers practical advice for students facing a trade-off between university and major reputation.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2024.2393458

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