| 简介： | Abstract:This paper studies the labor market consequences of elite college education in China. We overcome challenges of data availability and selection bias by compiling our own large-scale dataset and exploiting a discontinuity in elite university admissions eligibility that exists around college entrance exam cutoff scores. We find that (i) receiving an elite education increases the monthly wages by 30-40%; (ii) elite education and family background play additive roles in determining one's economic status; and (iii) the wage premium stems primarily from variation within occupation, industry, and ownership. In addition, there is suggestive evidence that the wage premium is more likely to be explained by university-related networks and signaling than human capital.
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