This qualitative study explores the intricate relationship between intergenerational postsecondary education and economic mobility by focusing on the nuanced themes of environment and exposure, encouragement and expectation, and experience and equal opportunity. Drawing from the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), this research seeks to…

This dissertation includes three essays on the economics of higher education. In the first chapter, I study the effects of college transfer. Over one-third of college students in the United States transfer between institutions, yet little is known about how transferring affect students' educational and labor market outcomes. Using administrative…

This dissertation consists of three chapters that study individual investment in human capital and the incidence of economic shocks. I use administrative data to answer these questions, developing and applying structural methods to analyze individual choices in combination with a careful consideration of research design. Chapter 1 studies the…

This dissertation is comprised of two chapters regarding the economics of post-secondary education. The first concerns effects of peer gender: Large gender differences exist in the take-up and completion of college majors across academic fields. The degree of gender concentration within fields tends to increase over time spent in college. In this…

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between vocational/ technical education (VTE) and economic growth in Nigerian. This purpose is motivated by the consideration that human capital development through enrolment in vocational and technical education is expected to stimulate economic growth. Quantitative correlational research…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to test the relationship between degree choice and post-graduate outcomes for students in the United States by describing the relationship between a selected major and post-graduate outcomes including employment sector, salary for women and men. As college costs rise, and enrollments fall for the first…

In this dissertation, I study some of the factors that determine schooling decisions in middle-income economies in Latin America. In the first chapter, I examine the impacts of a large-scale program in Colombia that installs water treatment facilities in rural schools. To identify causal effects on student and community outcomes, I leverage…

Tuition discounting has been a long-standing practice among colleges and universities. Its roots can be traced to the beginnings of the 1970s, and its use has continued to increase and expand in the decades following. However, despite its widespread use, the research is inconclusive whether tuition discounting has been an effective strategy to…

College and university administrators must be able to process large amounts of financial information quickly and be able to communicate information about financial performance to governing boards. Financial ratio analysis provides a framework for administrators to identify financial and operational concerns as well as variances from institutional…

This dissertation presents evidence about implementing a free college policy on higher education's demand and supply. This analysis includes descriptive evidence about the impact of the policy on students and programs' behavior. It also develops and estimates a demand and supply model of higher education that provides a framework to analyze the…

This dissertation consists of three essays in development economics. The first chapter studies the effects of migrant remittances on economic development and education investments. The second chapter examines the drivers of charitable donations on an online charity platform. The third chapter studies the political economy of education in…

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the effects of fiscal policy rules for funding higher education on macroeconomic concerns. Alternative government funding policies impact an endogenous household decision over post-secondary higher education and subsequently, economic output, growth, and income distribution. The link between human…

In this dissertation I use modern microeconomic methods to examine the impact of K-12 education policy interventions on student outcomes. In the first chapter I explore how increased funding for school policing and sentiment surrounding school policing can have downstream effects on student discipline, and how these effects vary by student and…

Students face many difficulties when attempting to complete a 4-year college degree. Without a college degree, upward mobility is less likely for members of disadvantaged communities. There is little understanding among post-secondary educators about the role of certifications as an alternative to a bachelor's degree in obtaining upward economic…

Increasing access and inclusion for underrepresented minorities in economics has been a focus for many in the discipline. Despite this, researchers have largely left two avenues of investigation that may provide insight into this issue unexplored: the role of community colleges and the role of reclassification of economics programs. I address the…