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Too Far to Go? Does Distance Determine Study Choices?

Author

Listed:
  • Denzler, Stefan

    (Swiss Co-ordination Center for Research in Education)

  • Wolter, Stefan C.

    (University of Bern)

Abstract

A number of studies have long shown that the probability of studying at university is influenced by the distance to the next university. This study shows for the first time that distance to university also influences the choice of subject/faculty and institution. Moreover, these findings are important because the distance effect in terms of these decisions is associated with significantly less risk of endogeneity than the effect in the analysis of the willingness and ambition to attend university. The results also show that distance does not influence study choices among students from the highest socioeconomic group, a finding that further indicates that distance to university is an expression of differences in the cost of a university education.

Suggested Citation

  • Denzler, Stefan & Wolter, Stefan C., 2011. "Too Far to Go? Does Distance Determine Study Choices?," IZA Discussion Papers 5712, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5712
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Schmidt, Alejandro & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios & Paredes, Ricardo D., 2019. "Heterogeneity and college choice: Latent class modelling for improved policy making," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    2. Thomas Bolli & Katherine Caves & Maria Esther Oswald-Egg, 2021. "Valuable Experience: How University Internships Affect Graduates’ Income," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 62(8), pages 1198-1247, December.
    3. Ronny Freier & Johanna Storck, 2012. "The Treatment Effect of Attending a High-Quality School and the Influence of Unobservables," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 530, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Katarina Weßling & Nora Bechler, 2019. "Where do regional influences matter? The impact of socio-spatial indicators on transitions from secondary school to university [Wo hat Region einen Einfluss? Effekte sozialräumlicher Indikatoren au," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 39(2), pages 163-188, October.
    5. Thomas Bolli & Katherine Caves & Maria Esther Oswald-Egg, 2019. "Valuable experience: How internships affect university graduates’ income," KOF Working papers 19-459, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    6. Pigini, Claudia & Staffolani, Stefano, 2013. "Enrollment costs, university quality and higher education choices in Italy," MPRA Paper 50364, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Diogo Lourenço & Carla Sá & Orlanda Tavares, 2017. "Pushed Away From Home? Spatial Mobility Of Prospective Higher Education Students And The Enrolment Decision," FEP Working Papers 593, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    8. Sørensen, Elise Stenholt & Høst, Anders Kamp, 2015. "Does distance determine who is in higher education?," MPRA Paper 74517, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Kidd, Michael & O'Leary, Nigel C. & Sloane, Peter J., 2014. "Should I Stay or Should I Go? An Investigation of Graduate Regional Mobility in the UK and its Impact upon Early Career Earnings," IZA Discussion Papers 8325, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Stefano STAFFOLANI & Maria Cristina RECCHIONI, 2016. "Increasing Graduation and Calling for More Autonomy in Higher Education: Is It a Good Thing? A Theoretical Model," Working Papers 419, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    11. Kidd, Michael P. & O'Leary, Nigel & Sloane, Peter, 2017. "The impact of mobility on early career earnings: A quantile regression approach for UK graduates," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 90-102.
    12. Stefano STAFFOLANI & Claudia PIGINI, 2012. "Enrolment Decision and University Choice;of Italian Secondary School Graduates," Working Papers 380, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    13. Vinas-Forcade, Jennifer & Seijas, María Noé, 2021. "To teach or not to teach: Negative selection into the teaching profession in Uruguay," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    distance-to-university; subject choice; university choice; Switzerland;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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