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The Effect of College Education on Health

Author

Listed:
  • Buckles, Kasey

    (University of Notre Dame)

  • Malamud, Ofer

    (University of Chicago)

  • Morrill, Melinda Sandler

    (North Carolina State University)

  • Wozniak, Abigail

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis)

Abstract

We exploit exogenous variation in college completion induced by draft-avoidance behavior during the Vietnam War to examine the impact of college completion on adult mortality. Our preferred estimates imply that increasing college completion rates from the level of the state with the lowest induced rate to the highest would decrease cumulative mortality by 28 percent relative to the mean. Most of the reduction in mortality is from deaths due to cancer and heart disease. We also explore potential mechanisms, including differential earnings, health insurance, and health behaviors, using data from the Census, ACS, and NHIS.

Suggested Citation

  • Buckles, Kasey & Malamud, Ofer & Morrill, Melinda Sandler & Wozniak, Abigail, 2012. "The Effect of College Education on Health," IZA Discussion Papers 6659, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6659
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    college education; health;

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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