Institutional Stratification and the Postcollege Labor Market: Comparing Job Satisfaction and Prestige across Generations

Abstract

Employing NCES databases, we investigate how college selectivity influences job satisfaction and prestige from the 1970s to the 1990s and across different racial categories. We find that the effect of college selectivity has essentially disappeared over time and that minority students are particularly disadvantaged with respect to job satisfaction.

• college selectivity
• labor market outcomes
• nonpecuniary career outcomes
• occupational prestige
• job satisfaction

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeongeun Kim

Jeongeun Kim is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan.

Jiyun Kim

Jiyun Kim is Deputy Director, Korean Ministry of Education.

Ozan Jaquette

Ozan Jaquette is Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Arizona.

Michael N. Bastedo

Michael N. Bastedo is Associate Professor of Education and Director, Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, University of Michigan; [email protected].