Learning by Mail: The Impact of Correspondence Schools in Early 20th Century America

Daniela Vidart

No 35147, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper examines correspondence education as an alternative pathway to human capital acquisition in early 20th-century America. Using digitized records from the International Correspondence Schools (ICS), the largest such institution, linked to census data, I show that correspondence education expanded educational opportunity by reaching individuals conventional schools could not serve, while providing occupation-specific technical training those schools lacked. Enrollment increased men’s probability of working in a professional or technical occupation by 6–10pp within 2–10 years, with gains concentrated in occupations for which students trained. By 1910, ICS accounted for 1.3–2.1% of the male professional and technical workforce.

JEL-codes: E24 I21 J24 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-04
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