| Abstract: | Most analyses of the effects of college rank on labor market outcomes focus on its average impact across sub-populations and employment situations. The framework adopted in this paper, however, suggests that the effects of college rank may vary by individual characteristics and type of job. Using data from the 1973 Occupational Changes in a Generation Survey, we test three hypotheses suggesting that occupational advantage, as measured either by family of origin or current position, is a significant determinant of capacity to convert increments in college prestige into labor market success. The findings suggest that where one went to college is especially consequential for (1) the occupational status of individuals from professional families; (2) the earnings of individuals from both professional and managerial families; and (3) the earnings of individuals in both professional and managerial positions. Overall, these findings tend to confirm the study's underlying hypothesis that aggregate analyses of college rank may be misleading when applied across sub-populations and employment situations. |
