Working Paper: NBER ID: w29423
Authors: Jason Fletcher; Hamid Noghanibehambari
Abstract: This paper explores the long-run health benefits of education for longevity. Using mortality data from the Social Security Administration (1988-2005) linked to geographic locations in the 1940-census data, we exploit changes in college availability across cohorts in local areas. We estimate an intent to treat effect of exposure to an additional 4-year college around age 17 of increasing longevity by 0.13 months; treatment on the treated calculations suggest increases in longevity between 1-1.6 years. Some further analyses suggest the results are not driven by pre-tends, endogenous migration, and other time-varying local confounders. This paper adds to the literature on the health and social benefits of education.
Keywords: Education; Mortality; Longevity; College Expansion
JEL Codes: I1; I23; I26
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| College expansions (I23) | Age at death (J17) |
| College availability at age 17 (I23) | Longevity (C41) |
| College expansions (I23) | Mortality outcomes (I12) |
| Individual characteristics (e.g., race, gender, immigration status) (J15) | Mortality outcomes (I12) |
| Migration patterns (F22) | Mortality outcomes (I12) |
| Local economic conditions (R11) | Mortality outcomes (I12) |