Athletics, clubs, or music? The influence of college extracurricular activities on job prestige and satisfaction

Abstract

In this study, we investigate how college extracurricular activities influence students’ early occupational outcomes. In particular, we examine how the type and number of extracurricular activities, as well as level of participation, influence occupational prestige and job satisfaction. Employing the three national databases, we compare the relationship between extracurricular activities and occupational outcomes across three different cohorts and different levels of college selectivity in the context of the US. Our results suggest that the type of activities pursued in college is consistently important for occupational outcomes, and different types of activities have significant influence for different cohorts. Extracurricular activities tend to have more labour market benefits for graduates of selective institutions.

Keywords:

• Extracurricular activities
• co-curricular activities
• labor market outcomes
• occupational prestige
• job satisfaction