The impact of business cycle fluctuations on graduate school enrollment

This paper adds to the understanding of student decisions about graduate school attendance by studying the magnitude of the effect of business cycle fluctuations on enrollment. I use data on graduate school enrollment from the Current Population Survey and statewide variation in unemployment rates across time to proxy for changes in business cycle conditions. I find that overall graduate school enrollment is countercyclical for females and acyclical for males. I show that changes in the unemployment rate have non-linear impacts on female enrollment and that poor labor market conditions lead to a substitution from full-time enrollment to part-time enrollment for both genders.

► Female graduate school enrollment is countercyclical but male enrollment is acyclical. ► Business cycle fluctuations have non-linear impacts on female graduate school enrollment. ► Poor labor market conditions lead to a substitution from full-time enrollment to part-time enrollment.