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Benefits of Education at the Intensive Margin: Childhood Academic Performance and Adult Outcomes among American Immigrants

Author

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  • Deniz Gevrek

    (Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 and IZA, Bonn, Germany)

  • Z. Eylem Gevrek

    (Department of Economics, University of Konstanz, Germany)

  • Cahit Guven

    (Deakin University, Victoria 125, Australia)

Abstract

Using the Children of the Immigrants Longitudinal Study from the United States, this paper examines the association between schooling at the intensive margin and adult outcomes among first- and second-generation American immigrants. Schooling at the intensive margin is measured by reading and math scores in middle school and by GPA scores in both middle and high school. We find that measures of academic performance predict pecuniary and nonpecuniary adult outcomes. We also find that academic performance in high school relative to middle school is important in explaining adult socioeconomic outcomes. Immigrants with higher GPAs in high school compared to middle school have more schooling, are in better health, are less likely to commit crime, and have higher expectations regarding future job prestige and schooling. On the other hand, a decline in GPAs is associated with lower satisfaction with income and occupation. Moreover, our results indicate that infant mortality rate, which is used as a proxy for unfavorable health conditions in the country of birth, has a negative impact on academic performance during childhood and on personal earnings and income satisfaction during adulthood.

Suggested Citation

  • Deniz Gevrek & Z. Eylem Gevrek & Cahit Guven, 2013. "Benefits of Education at the Intensive Margin: Childhood Academic Performance and Adult Outcomes among American Immigrants," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2013-11, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    • Handle: RePEc:knz:dpteco:1311
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics of Education; Human Capital; School Performance; Immigrants;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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