| Hiromi Taniguchi
University of Louisville
Higher education pursuits past early adulthood and subsequent career outcomes
FINAL REPORT:
Although many studies have shown a significant wage gain associated with being a college graduate, few have considered at what age the degree was received to estimate this college wage premium. Given the substantial growth of nontraditional college enrollment in recent decades, the present study examines possible differentials in the level of the premiums by college timing. Results from the fixed-effects models with the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data show that nontraditional college graduates, here defined as those who complete their degree at 25 or older, receive a significantly discounted college premium relative to those who graduate at a younger age. While the negative wage effect of college postponement is partly due to the delayed onset of the cumulative opportunities that a higher education provides, this does not explain away the economic disadvantage faced by nontraditional graduates. The finding is consistent with the increased variability in college premiums observed in some recent studies. The issue of varied college premiums by the timing of degree completion warrants close attention as nontraditional enrollment will likely continue growing in a foreseeable future, especially in light of todayÕs skyrocketing college costs that would force more and more teenagers and young adults to postpone college and to fill jobs in the lower end of the labor market before returning to school.
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