SCHOOL QUALITY AND RETURNS TO EDUCATION OF U.S. IMMIGRANTS

• Published in: Economic inquiry Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 177 - 198
• Main Authors: Bratsberg, Bernt, Terrell, Dek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2002; Oxford University Press, Journals Customer Service; Blackwell Publishers Ltd; Western Economic Association
• Subjects: Economic aspects; Economic methodology; Economic models; Economic research; Economics; Economics of education; Economists; Education; Education systems; Educational Quality; Educational Resources; Elementary Secondary Education; Estimates; Expenditure per Student; Expenditures; Factor analysis; Foreign Countries; GNP; Gross National Product; Growth models; Home country; Human capital; Immigrants; Immigration; Labor Market; Noncitizens; Outcomes of Education; Quality; Quality of education; Rates of return; Ratios; Returns to education; School districts; Schools; Students; Studies; U.S.A; United States; Wages & salaries; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0095-2583; 1465-7295
• DOI: 10.1093/ei/40.2.177

Using the U.S. labor market as a common point of reference, this article investigates the influence of source country school quality on the returns to education of immigrants. Based on 1980 and 1990 census data, we first estimate country‐of‐origin specific returns to education. Results reveal that immigrants from Japan and northern Europe receive high returns and immigrants from Central America receive low returns. Next we examine the relationship between school quality measures and these returns. Holding per capita GDP and other factors constant, immigrants from countries with lower pupil‐teacher ratios and greater expenditures per pupil earn higher returns to education.)