Abstract
Drawing on data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we show
that students who select majors that do not match their occupational preferences prior to enrolling in university are more likely to drop out than those who do choose majors that match their occupational preferences. Our findings suggest that this gap cannot be explained by institutional obstacles to entering a major. Instead, the primary mechanisms behind this phenomenon are indecisiveness and preference changes.
that students who select majors that do not match their occupational preferences prior to enrolling in university are more likely to drop out than those who do choose majors that match their occupational preferences. Our findings suggest that this gap cannot be explained by institutional obstacles to entering a major. Instead, the primary mechanisms behind this phenomenon are indecisiveness and preference changes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Bonn |
| Publisher | IZA |
| Number of pages | 45 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2023 |
Publication series
| Series | IZA Discussion Paper Series |
|---|---|
| Number | 16215 |
JEL classifications
- i24 - Education and Inequality
- d83 - "Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief"
Keywords
- dropout
- preferences
- mismatch
- tertiary education