Progress in educational development in the world since 1900 has been slow and uneven between countries. Providing basic education for all children in developing countries has been and remains an unmet challenge of governments and international organizations alike. This is in sharp contrast to recent findings in the economics literature on the…

This article presents a broad overview of human capital theory and presents highlights of the most recent evidence on the private and social returns to education. A distinction is made between the narrow social returns, as traditionally estimated in the economics of education literature, and the wide social returns that include externalities. The…

Analyzes the relationship between years of schooling and income distribution, based on human capital theory. (Available from North-Holland Publishing Company, P.O. Box 211, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; $13.50 annually, plus $4.00 postage and handling) (JG)

Disputes claims that private education is highly selective and unaffordable. Examines extent of private expenditure on education in Bolivia, a very poor country whose public education system is characterized by low teacher salaries, unqualified teachers, few textbooks, and high dropout and repetition rates. Using 1990 and 1992 household survey…

Returns to investment in education based on human capital theory have been estimated since the late 1950s. In the 40-plus year history of estimates of returns to investment in education, there have been several reviews of the empirical results in attempts to establish patterns. Many more estimates from a wide variety of countries, including…

Since the education boom of the sixties enough time has passed for estimates to be made of the profitability of such a highly speculative investment of human capital. Only from these sources of information can we determine future education and manpower, and develop human resources. Returns to education are clearly visible, whether they differ…

Uses household survey data for 18 Latin American countries to assess earnings differentials by education level and to chart 1980s changes. Introducing cost of education allows private and social rates of return to education investment to be estimated by education level, gender, employment sector, curriculum type, duration. In most countries,…

This article updates evidence on the returns to investment in education by adding estimates for new countries and refining existing estimates to bring the total number of country cases to over 60. Evidence reinforces earlier patterns, namely, that returns are highest for primary education, the general curricula, the education of women, and…

Presents evidence concerning the rate of return to investment in education in 32 countries. The emerging pattern shows declining returns through time, viewed in the context of alternative theories about the education-earnings relationship. The evidence supports a human capital model and continued expansion of education in developing countries.…

Uses 1990 Household Survey data for Paraguay to analyze the education-earnings relationship. Human capital characteristics account for about 40% of individual earnings variance; each extra year of schooling yields a private return rate of 11.5%. Social and private return rates are highest for primary education, followed by secondary education.…

Examines various education-related aspects of Venezuela's labor market for 1975-1984, using a sample of 40,000 workers. Education returns have declined only two percent during a rapid educational expansion period. The increased supply of educated persons influenced the narrowing of earnings differentials and led to more equitable income…

Using data from the 1985 Buenos Aires (Argentina) Household Survey of 4,500 employed individuals, earnings differences are explained by a set of individual human capital characteristics. Returns to education investments are then estimated for different levels and types of schooling. Secondary and higher education investments need to be retargeted.…