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Liberal Arts Graduates in the Labour Market: A Comparative Study of Dutch University Colleges and Conventional Bachelor’s Programmes

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  • Milan Kovačević

    (University College Maastricht, Maastricht University)

  • Teun J. Dekker

    (University College Maastricht, Maastricht University)

  • Rolf Velden

    (Maastricht University)

Abstract

This paper compares the employment outcomes of liberal arts graduates from Dutch university colleges with those of their peers who pursued conventional, subject-specific bachelor’s degrees. Using data from the Dutch National Alumni Survey, the analysis includes 14,933 respondents who completed a master’s programme at a research university, with 210 of them holding a university college degree. Logistic, multinomial, and OLS regression analyses were performed on six labour market outcomes: employment status, time to first paid job, vertical match, horizontal match, vertical and horizontal match combination, and hourly wage from regular work. Propensity score matching was used as a robustness check. The results show that holding a university college degree is not associated with any distinct advantages or disadvantages in the job market. While a liberal arts bachelor’s degree has a negative effect on obtaining employment in STEM professions, no statistically significant differences, neither negative nor positive, were found in other outcomes. This suggests that university colleges do not lack the capacity to prepare students for the labour market.

Suggested Citation

  • Milan Kovačević & Teun J. Dekker & Rolf Velden, 2024. "Liberal Arts Graduates in the Labour Market: A Comparative Study of Dutch University Colleges and Conventional Bachelor’s Programmes," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(8), pages 1911-1933, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:65:y:2024:i:8:d:10.1007_s11162-024-09813-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-024-09813-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Humburg, M. & van der Velden, R.K.W., 2014. "Skills and the graduate recruitment process: Evidence from two discrete choice experiments," ROA Research Memorandum 002, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
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    3. Humburg, Martin & van der Velden, Rolf, 2015. "Skills and the graduate recruitment process: Evidence from two discrete choice experiments," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 24-41.
    4. Stacy B. Dale & Alan B. Krueger, 2014. "Estimating the Effects of College Characteristics over the Career Using Administrative Earnings Data," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(2), pages 323-358.
    5. Drydakis, Nick, 2016. "The effect of university attended on graduates’ labour market prospects: A field study of Great Britain," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 192-208.
    6. Michael Spence, 1973. "Job Market Signaling," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 87(3), pages 355-374.
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