大学教育の経済的効用と進路選択行動 : 私的内部収益率の再検討を通して

抄録

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the economic utility of men's college educations and their career decisions in recent years. The study is based on the hypothesis that lately the economic utility of men's college educations would have diminished in light of the breakdown of the "lifetime employment system" in Japan. Focusing on both college graduates and high school graduates, this paper therefore examines the ratio of "standard workers" to total workers in the market, and the wage differential due to college education for the national sector and for the private sector. As a method of measuring the benefit of the wage differential, the indicator "private rate of return" is often used. Here also the time-series change of private rate of return by level of education will be shown.The private rate of return influences whether individuals decide to pursue a college education. Main our findings are follows. (1)Between the years 1984 and 1996, the ratio of "standard workers" with college educations had been decreasing in the 30-44 age cohort, and in the other age cohort increasing. (2)Despite the two sectors, the private rate of return for "standard workers" with college educations is a few percentage points higher rather than that for "general workers" with college educations, over the 1972-1996 period. (3)Particularly, the difference of the rate of return between "standard workers" and "general workers" with college educations has decreased after the late 1970's.