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Elite Schools and Opting In: Effects of College Selectivity on Career and Family Outcomes

Journal of Labor Economics 2022 40(S1), S383-S427
Using College and Beyond data and a variant of Dale and Krueger’s matched-applicant approach, we revisit the question of how attending an elite college affects later-life outcomes. We expand the scope by examining additional outcomes and not restricting the sample to full-time workers. For men, controlling for selection eliminates the relationship between college selectivity and earnings; there are also no effects on men’s educational attainment or family outcomes. We find significant effects for women: attending a school with a 100-point-higher average SAT score increases women’s probability of advanced degree attainment and earnings while reducing their likelihood of marriage.