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Economic Stratification and Hierarchy Among U.S. Colleges and Universities

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  • Winston, G.C.

Abstract

Colleges and universities in the US differ markedly in their access to economic resources, hence in what they can do for their students. National (IPEDS) data are used here to describe the resulting hierarchy that's reflected in schools' spending on their students, the prices those students pay, and the subsidies they get in consequence. Both historical data and projections based on recent institutional saving suggest that economic disparities among institutions and their students are increasing. In a final section, the paper asks what to make of this: what we can say about "the right degree" of institutional disparity, so whether we have too much, too little, or about the right amount of differentiation.

Suggested Citation

  • Winston, G.C., 2000. "Economic Stratification and Hierarchy Among U.S. Colleges and Universities," Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education DP-58, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    • Handle: RePEc:wil:wilehe:58
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    File URL: http://sites.williams.edu/wpehe/files/2011/06/DP-58.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael S. McPherson & Morton Owen Schapiro, 1994. "Merit Aid: Students, Institutions, and Society," Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education DP-25, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    2. Winston, G.C., 2000. "The Positional Arms Race in Higher Education," Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education DP-54, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    3. Caroline M. Hoxby & Bridget Terry, 1999. "Explaining Rising Income and wage Inequality Among the College Educated," NBER Working Papers 6873, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Charles T. Clotfelter, 1996. "Buying the Best: Cost Escalation in Elite Higher Education," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number clot96-1.
    5. Stacy Berg Dale & Alan B. Krueger, 2002. "Estimating the Payoff to Attending a More Selective College: An Application of Selection on Observables and Unobservables," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(4), pages 1491-1527.
    6. Winston, G.C. & Zimmerman, D.J., 2000. "Where is Aggressive Price Competition Taking Higher Education?," Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education DP-56, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    7. Winston, Gordon C., 1989. "Imperfectly rational choice : Rationality as the result of a costly activity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 67-86, August.
    8. Gordon C. Winston & Yen, I.C., 1995. "Costs, Prices, Subsidies, and Aid in U.S. Higher Education," Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education DP-32, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    9. Winston, G.C. & Carbone, J.C. & Lewis, E.G., 1998. "What's Been Happening to Higher Education? Facts, Trends, and Data," Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education DP-47, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    10. Gordon C. Winston, 1999. "Subsidies, Hierarchy and Peers: The Awkward Economics of Higher Education," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 13-36, Winter.
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    Cited by:

    1. John Bound & Brad Hershbein & Bridget Terry Long, 2009. "Playing the Admissions Game: Student Reactions to Increasing College Competition," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(4), pages 119-146, Fall.
    2. John Bound & Breno Braga & Gaurav Khanna & Sarah Turner, 2019. "Public Universities: The Supply Side of Building a Skilled Workforce," NBER Working Papers 25945, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    EDUCATION ; INCOME ; STUDENTS ; CHOICE;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid

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