The Effects of College Intergenerational mobility Schooling and Wages/occupation Selective colleges

Social Mobility Degree to which our position in society changes Degree to which our position in society changes Intra-generational Intra-generational Changes within our lifespan Changes within our lifespan Inter-generational Inter-generational Changes between generations Changes between generations

The Structure of Stratification Can begin to learn something about the structure of stratification by looking at patterns of intergenerational mobility Can begin to learn something about the structure of stratification by looking at patterns of intergenerational mobility How much of one’s position is passed on to one’s children? How much of one’s position is passed on to one’s children?

Types of intergenerational mobility Inheritance – generates class-based groups Inheritance – generates class-based groups Structural – driven by changes in economic structure Structural – driven by changes in economic structure Exchange – mobility based on individual achievement Exchange – mobility based on individual achievement

“Of course, it helped that my father was also a king.”

Structure of Pure Inheritance parents children Social Standing

Structure of Structural Mobility More jobs in some sectors More jobs in some sectors Fewer jobs in other sectors Fewer jobs in other sectors parentschildren

Structure of Exchange Mobility parentschildren

What drives mobility in the US? A mixture of structural and exchange mobility A mixture of structural and exchange mobility Family background (inheritance) operates through its influence on educational attainment Family background (inheritance) operates through its influence on educational attainment These patterns are clearly revealed in the association between school attainment and wages (income) These patterns are clearly revealed in the association between school attainment and wages (income)

Earnings of Adults with varying levels of education

Historical Earnings Comparison by level of schooling

Expected Earnings by level of schooling and sex

So, college ‘pays off.’ But is it “worth it” to attend a highly selective college (e.g., Ivy League, Stanford, Williams)?

10% 68% What does it mean to be selective?

Price of Admission Cost of attending Harvard Billed costs = $45,000 Total costs approximately $ 48-50,000 Cost of UW Billed costs = $18,000 total costs approximately $ 22,000

Well-known Fact Students who graduate from selective colleges earn more Students who graduate from selective colleges earn more each 100 point increase in average SAT of a school results in 3-7% higher earnings later in life Why? Why?

Dale and Krueger 2002 Careful study of the income ‘returns’ to selective colleges Careful study of the income ‘returns’ to selective colleges “Natural Experiment”: “Natural Experiment”: compared students who were admitted to selective schools, but chose to go elsewhere with earnings of students who enrolled in selective schools compared students who were admitted to selective schools, but chose to go elsewhere with earnings of students who enrolled in selective schools Findings Findings 1. Students who attend selective colleges earn more 2. But, among students who were admitted to selective colleges and chose to go elsewhere, no difference in wages 3. Except for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who earned more when they went to selective schools.

For Wednesday: Read the Andrew Abbott piece on The Aims of Education Read the Andrew Abbott piece on The Aims of Education What is his argument What is his argument What do you think? What do you think?