College, Debt, and Gender: the Influence of Outside Options on Higher Education
Abstract:
Women enroll in college at substantially higher rates than me n, yet experience worse post-college outcomes, including lower earnings, lo wer labor supply, and higher student debt balances. This paper studies the role of gender differences in non-college labor market opportunities in sha ping college enrollment, student debt, and aggregate gender inequality. We show that women's higher matriculation rates are concentrated in lower-inco me areas where non-college outside options are weaker, and that women dispr oportionately attend lower-quality, lower-cost institutions while still acc umulating more student debt and earning less after graduation. To interpret these findings, we develop a model of college and career choice in which w orse outside options raise the net return to college, increasing enrollment and debt even when post-college earnings remain lower. The framework highl ights how changes in non-college labor markets can generate opposing moveme nts in female welfare, the college earnings premium, and aggregate gender e arnings gaps through compositional effects, with important implications for higher education and student debt policy
DTSTAMP:20261023T180132Z DTSTART:20260923T130000Z DTEND:20260923T140000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR