To inform educational policy, it is often more relevant to know the returns to educational investments
that accrue (or would have accrued) to the marginal entrant in education, rather
than to the average learner.
In this paper, we focus on two key educational choices and estimate the corresponding individual wage returns for variously defined marginal learners, in particular:
- the returns to staying on in full-time education past the age of 16 for the marginal stayer;
- the returns to completing any form of higher education (HE) compared to at least level 2 for the marginal entrant in HE who holds at least level 2 qualifications.
Where appropriate, we contrast these results to those for the returns to HE compared to anything less.
Authors
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Lorraine Dearden
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Leslie McGranahan
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Barbara Sianesi
Report details
- ISBN
- 07530-1739-3
- Publisher
- Centre for the Economics of Education
Suggested citation
L, Dearden and L, McGranahan and B, Sianesi. (2004). Returns to education for the 'marginal learner' evidence from the BCS70. London: Centre for the Economics of Education. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/returns-education-marginal-learner-evidence-bcs70 (accessed: 30 June 2024).
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