Yu Xiao
Johns Hopkins University, Department of Sociology, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States.
Soc Sci Res. 2021 Aug;98:102583. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2021.102583. Epub 2021 Jun 1.
Prior scholarship devotes scant attention to the economic returns to delayed postgraduate attainment, when college graduates did not enroll immediately but entered the labor market first. While human capital theory posits "better earlier than later", delayed attainment may represent a more deliberate decision informed by the demand side, which facilitates access to better-matched jobs. Utilizing data from National Survey of College Graduates, the study focuses on master's degree recipients who attained their bachelor's degree in 2005-2010 and who were working for pay in 2015. Multivariate analyses suggest delayed attainment yields lower earnings than on-time attainment but only applies to men. After accounting for the selection into delayed vs. on-time attainment, propensity score matching estimates reveal varying delay penalties by sex and college major. More generally, this study adds nuance to the "better earlier than later" hypothesis and underscores the mechanism of delayed postgraduate education for economic stratification among college graduates.
先前的学术研究很少关注延迟研究生入学所带来的经济回报，即大学毕业生没有立即入学而是先进入劳动力市场的情况。虽然人力资本理论认为“早比晚好”，但延迟入学可能代表着一种更经过深思熟虑的决策，这一决策受到需求方的影响，有助于获得更匹配的工作。该研究利用了来自全国大学毕业生调查的数据，重点关注在2005年至2010年获得学士学位并于2015年有带薪工作的硕士学位获得者。多变量分析表明，延迟入学的收入低于按时入学的收入，但这只适用于男性。在考虑了延迟入学与按时入学的选择因素后，倾向得分匹配估计显示，性别和大学专业的延迟惩罚各不相同。更普遍地说，这项研究为“早比晚好”的假设增添了细微差别，并强调了延迟研究生教育在大学毕业生经济分层中的作用机制。
