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Parental Income and Higher Education: Evidence From France

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  • Cécile Bonneau

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)

  • Sébastien Grobon

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, COR - Conseil d'Orientation des Retraites)

Abstract

This paper offers new stylized facts on inequality of enrollment in higher education according to parental income in France. On average, an increment of 10 percentiles in the parental income distribution is associated with a 5.8 percentage-point increase in the proportion of individuals entering higher education. This degree of inequality is strikingly close to that observed in the United States. We identify potential explanatory factors behind this similar degree of inequality in two markedly different institutional contexts. We then explore one consequence of enrollment disparities, assessing the distribution of spending on higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Cécile Bonneau & Sébastien Grobon, 2025. "Parental Income and Higher Education: Evidence From France," Post-Print halshs-04976868, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-04976868
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04976868v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bertrand Garbinti & Cecilia Garc a Pe alosa & Vladimir Pecheu & Fr d rique Savignac, 2023. "Trends and Inequality in Lifetime Earnings in France," Working papers 925, Banque de France.
    2. William R. Johnson, 2006. "Are Public Subsidies to Higher Education Regressive?," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 1(3), pages 288-315, June.
    3. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2023. "Intergenerational income mobility in France: a comparative and geographical analysis," PSE Working Papers halshs-04563025, HAL.
    4. Kenedi, Gustave & Sirugue, Louis, 2023. "Intergenerational income mobility in France: A comparative and geographic analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    5. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2023. "Intergenerational Income Mobility in France: A Comparative and Geographic Analysis," PSE Working Papers halshs-04423899, HAL.
    6. Joseph A. Pechman, 1970. "The Distributional Effects of Public Higher Education in California: A Review Article," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 5(3), pages 361-370.
    7. Hansen, W Lee, 1970. "Income Distribution Effects of Higher Education," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(2), pages 335-340, May.
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