The debate concerning the various determinants of economic growth has attracted considerable attention. The argument according to which endogenous growth models explain long-term economic growth is often put forward. Particularly, it is held that the production of knowledge by education induces self-sustained growth. In spite of numerous…

Max Weber attributed the higher economic prosperity of Protestant regions to a Protestant work ethic. We provide an alternative theory, where Protestant economies prospered because instruction in reading the Bible generated the human capital crucial to economic prosperity. County-level data from late 19th-century Prussia reveal that Protestantism…

The "2006 Agenda for Children Louisiana Kids Count Special Report on Child Care" documents and describes the supply and affordability of child care and early education in each of Louisiana's 64 parishes. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Louisiana's children under the age of five are cared for by someone other than a parent or guardian on a…

One of the ultimate goals of policy makers is to enable citizens to take advantage of a globalised world economy. This is leading them to focus on the improvement of education policies, ensuring the quality of service provision, a more equitable distribution of learning opportunities and stronger incentives for greater efficiency in schooling.…

A comparison of the Israel labor market between 1974 and 1983 found that both higher wages and age-earnings profiles were related to higher education levels. For higher education levels, the age-earnings profile presents steeper parabolic shapes. An earnings peak for higher educational levels at later ages was found only for 1974. Technological…

Uses data from Japanese households to calculate the income elasticities of educational expenditure, allowing elasticities to vary nonmonotonically with household income. Explores whether income elasticities for education peak in the middle-income categories and diminish for the lower and upper ends of income distribution. Income elasticities do…

Provides statistical evidence that college athletics may enhance higher education's mission, using National Collegiate Athletic Association data and an alternative measure that captures athletic success for universities over time. Shows that basketball success at colleges and universities has an "advertisement effect" that helps these…

Presents new estimates of social rates of return to high school and four-year college education (1967-88), based on microeconomic U.S. census data. Estimates are compared with real rates of return to investment in plant and equipment and in housing since 1947. Rates of return for investment in high school and plant and equipment are similar. (25…

This paper presents the first evidence of the effects of school accountability systems on the long-term human capital development of high-performing, college-bound students. The results are mixed. On the one hand, the evidence is consistent that school accountability sanction threats are associated with changes in student study habits. Students…

Although in-migration and out-migration levels of communities or counties are usually positively correlated, little work has been done on the correlation between in-migration and out-migration within population subcategories. Using a special 1980 data source from the U.S. Census Bureau, this paper examines migration patterns in 30 age/education…

In 2003, the Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) managed about $60 billion in new financial aid. In 1998, the Congress designated FSA as a performance-based organization. In so doing, it specified purposes for the agency, such as to reduce program costs and increase accountability of its officials, and provided…

Measures determinants of out-of-state enrollments in institutions of higher learning throughout the United States. Tobit regression results suggest that college size, status, selectivity, collegiate sports participation, and other factors significantly influence a university's percentage of nonresident student enrollments. The economics of college…

Focuses on a specific federal credit program (the guaranteed student loan program), using the Engle and Granger two-step procedure to estimate an error correction model of commercial student loan supply. Results indicate that the secondary market is an important determinant of commercial student loan lending and that commercial supply is inelastic…

Provides cross-country estimates on private rates of return to higher-education qualifications across various transitional economies spanning Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet Union. Rates tend to rise in most transitional economies over the period considered. Rate variabilities help explain variabilities in wage…

The Department of Education is a leader in improving the quality of education and raising expectations of what students can accomplish. The Department has promised to leave no child behind in order to ensure that all Americans can use their knowledge and skills to lead productive lives, enhance communities, and participate fully in the economy. To…