College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise

Brad Hershbein, Melissa Schettini Kearney and Luke W. Pardue

No 26747, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We conduct an empirical simulation exercise that gauges the plausible impact of increased rates of college attainment on a variety of measures of income inequality and economic insecurity. Using two different methodological approaches—a distributional approach and a causal parameter approach—we find that increased rates of bachelor’s and associate degree attainment would meaningfully increase economic security for lower-income individuals, reduce poverty and near-poverty, and shrink gaps between the 90th and lower percentiles of the earnings distribution. However, increases in college attainment would not significantly reduce inequality at the very top of the distribution.

JEL-codes: I24 I26 I30 J21 J24 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-02
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Published as Brad Hershbein & Melissa S. Kearney & Luke W. Pardue, 2020. "College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise," AEA Papers and Proceedings, vol 110, pages 352-355.

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Journal Article: College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise (2020)
Working Paper: College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise (2020)
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