Abstract
We examine the effect of university education on students' non-cognitive skills (NCS) using high-quality Australian longitudinal data. To isolate the skill-building effects of tertiary education, we follow the education decisions and NCS-proxied by the Big Five personality traits-of 575 adolescents over eight years. Estimating a standard skill production function, we demonstrate a robust positive relationship between university education and extraversion, and agreeableness for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The effects are likely to operate through exposure to university life rather than through degree-specific curricula or university-specific teaching quality. As extraversion and agreeableness are associated with socially beneficial behaviours, we propose that university education may have important non-market returns.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 538-562 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Oxford Economic Papers |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2018 |
Keywords
- Non cognitive skills
- University
- personality
- Human capital
Cite this
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University education and non-cognitive skill development. / Kassenboehmer, Sonja C.; Leyung, Felix; Schurer, Stefanie.
In: Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 70, No. 2, 01.04.2018, p. 538-562.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - University education and non-cognitive skill development
AU - Kassenboehmer, Sonja C.
AU - Leyung, Felix
AU - Schurer, Stefanie
PY - 2018/4/1
Y1 - 2018/4/1
N2 - We examine the effect of university education on students' non-cognitive skills (NCS) using high-quality Australian longitudinal data. To isolate the skill-building effects of tertiary education, we follow the education decisions and NCS-proxied by the Big Five personality traits-of 575 adolescents over eight years. Estimating a standard skill production function, we demonstrate a robust positive relationship between university education and extraversion, and agreeableness for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The effects are likely to operate through exposure to university life rather than through degree-specific curricula or university-specific teaching quality. As extraversion and agreeableness are associated with socially beneficial behaviours, we propose that university education may have important non-market returns.
AB - We examine the effect of university education on students' non-cognitive skills (NCS) using high-quality Australian longitudinal data. To isolate the skill-building effects of tertiary education, we follow the education decisions and NCS-proxied by the Big Five personality traits-of 575 adolescents over eight years. Estimating a standard skill production function, we demonstrate a robust positive relationship between university education and extraversion, and agreeableness for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The effects are likely to operate through exposure to university life rather than through degree-specific curricula or university-specific teaching quality. As extraversion and agreeableness are associated with socially beneficial behaviours, we propose that university education may have important non-market returns.
KW - Non cognitive skills
KW - University
KW - personality
KW - Human capital
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044859387&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/oep/gpy002
DO - 10.1093/oep/gpy002
M3 - Article
VL - 70
SP - 538
EP - 562
JO - Oxford Economic Papers
JF - Oxford Economic Papers
SN - 0030-7653
IS - 2
ER -