The Value of Postsecondary Credentials in the Labor Market: An Experimental Study

We study employers' perceptions of the value of postsecondary degrees using a field experiment. We randomly assign the sector and selectivity of institutions to fictitious resumes and apply to real vacancy postings for business and health jobs on a large online job board. We find that a business bachelor's degree from a for-profit online institution is 22 percent less likely to receive a callback than one from a nonselective public institution. In applications to health jobs, we find that for-profit credentials receive fewer callbacks unless the job requires an external quality indicator such as an occupational license.

Reference Information

Author: 

David J. Deming ,
Noam Yuchtman ,
Amira Abulafi ,
Claudia Goldin ,
Lawrence F. Katz
Publisher: 
American Economic Review
Publication Date: 
March 2016