Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5034717 | Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization | 2016 | 21 Pages |
Abstract
How do college students choose their majors, and what role does the family play in their choices? I use data from two major longitudinal surveys to develop and estimate a model in which students learn about earning opportunities associated with different majors through the wages of older siblings and parents. The probability of a student choosing a major that corresponds to the occupation of a family member is strongly correlated with the family member's wage at the time the major choice is made. This correlation remains strong after controlling for family-correlated abilities or preferences, and additional empirical evidence suggests that the observed correlation arises through a family-based wage information channel.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities
Economics, Econometrics and Finance
Economics and Econometrics
Authors
Xiaoyu Xia,