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Higher education and early life outcomes

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Abstract

A multidimensional view of the impact of higher education is presented. The influence of earnings on three other life outcomes is considered. Data from a follow-up of students in the United States who had earlier participated in the Freshmen Norms Survey of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) indicate the distinctiveness of selected outcomes. A different developmental process is suggested for each. Controlling for other inputs, we found possible impacts of higher education on earnings attainment and liberalism-conservatism, but not on later job and life satisfaction.

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Phelan, T.J., Phelan, J.C. Higher education and early life outcomes. High Educ 12, 665–680 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00132423

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