The returns to postgraduate education in Japan

Periodical
Japanese Economic Review
Volume
71
Year
2020
Issue number
4
Page range
571-596
Access date
March 23, 2023
Relates to study/studies
PIAAC Cycle 1

The returns to postgraduate education in Japan

Abstract

Using three household surveys, theJapanese Panel Survey of Consumers(JPSC), theWorking Person Survey(WPS), and theSurvey of Adult Skills(PIAAC), this study estimates the returns to postgraduate education in Japan, considering potential self-selection bias. To mitigate the bias, workers' undergraduate majors, types of university, and level of cognitive skills are controlled for. These factors explain 6.3-29.2% of the postgraduate wage premium for women, but at most 10.9% for men. Even after controlling for them, the postgraduate wage premium remains positive and significant, ranging from 16.5 to 23.7% for men and 13.5-26.4% for women.