Graduate Returns, Degree Class Premia and Higher Education Expansion in the UK

Robin Naylor, Jeremy Smith and Shqiponja Telhaj

CEP Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: We investigate the extent to which graduate returns vary according to the class of degree achieved by UK university students and examine changes over time in estimated degree class premia. Using a variety of complementary datasets for individuals born in Britain around 1970 and aged between 30 and 40, we estimate an hourly wage premium for a 'good' (relative to a 'lower') class of degree of 7% to 9%, implying a wide spread around the average graduate premium. We also estimate the premium for a good relative to a lower degree for different cohorts (those born between the mid-1960s and early-1980s) and find evidence that the premium for a good degree has risen over time as the proportions of cohorts participating in higher education have increased.

Keywords: Graduate returns; higher education participation; ability composition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D82 I23 J24 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-eur
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Graduate returns, degree class premia and higher education expansion in the UK (2016)
Working Paper: Graduate returns, degree class premia and higher education expansion in the UK (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1392

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