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

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.

The Effect of Health-Related Behaviors on Income in China: A Panel Data Analysis

“…19 This was achieved in 2003 by Schultz, who conducted quantified the economic return to schooling in terms of human capital. 20 When it came to the situation where I am examining gender differences in the income factors stated above, I can find several relevant papers concerning gender and productivity. Education is shown to be more beneficial to women than to men in terms of income growth by the channel of improving one's health.…”