The returns to higher education selectivity: how much is it worth and who earns more? Evidence from University of São Paulo undergraduates

• Grant number: 17/10942-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda Gonçalves de La Fuente Estevan
• Grantee: Gabriel Guimarães Leite
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The return to higher education has been object of study in the literature for decades, but there are only few evidences regarding the wage premium of attending the most selective universities in the labor market. Especially in Brazil, where higher education has been widely known as a crucial element to upward mobility, a broader comprehension about the role of the elite degree in future earnings becomes even more relevant. Hence, this work aims to fill this gap by estimating the wage premium of attending and completing the undergraduate program at University of Sao Paulo, one of the most important and selective universities in the country. Taking advantage of two groups around the admission grade cutoff - who were admitted and who were not admitted by the university - and using it as instrument of enrollment and completion rates, this study will utilize the Regression Discontinu ity Design as alternative to solve possible selection problems, and then, to obtain the causal effect of attending highly selective institutions on earnings after completing the undergraduate education. By allowing the returns to vary according socioeconomic groups and majors, this work intends to provide a greater understanding about the way the effect is distributed among different segments of Brazilian population and fields of study. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

LEITE, Gabriel Guimarães. The returns to higher education selectivity: evidence from students admitted to University of São Paulo. 2018. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA/SBD) São Paulo.