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The Return to Private Education: Evidence from School-to-Work Transitions

Author

Listed:
  • Dante Contreras
  • Jorge Rodríguez
  • Sergio Urzúa

Abstract

This paper investigates the labor market returns to high school types. We exploit comprehensive administrative data describing the school-to-work transition for the universe of Chilean students attending tenth grade in 2001. We discuss the role of self-selection into school types, pre-labor market abilities, firm characteristics, and present bounds for the parameters of interest. Attending private high schools has long-lasting e ects on earnings. Moreover, the long-term returns to school-level valueadded measures and monetary investments in education are larger among private-school students. Our findings provide new insights into the association of school choice and the inertia of income inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Dante Contreras & Jorge Rodríguez & Sergio Urzúa, 2019. "The Return to Private Education: Evidence from School-to-Work Transitions," Working Papers wp479, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:udc:wpaper:wp479
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    References listed on IDEAS

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