11.126J | Spring 2007 | Undergraduate, Graduate

Economics of Education

Course Description

This class discusses the economic aspects of current issues in education, using both economic theory and econometric and institutional readings. Topics include discussion of basic human capital theory, the growing impact of education on earnings and earnings inequality, statistical issues in determining the true rate …
This class discusses the economic aspects of current issues in education, using both economic theory and econometric and institutional readings. Topics include discussion of basic human capital theory, the growing impact of education on earnings and earnings inequality, statistical issues in determining the true rate of return to education, the labor market for teachers, implications of the impact of computers on the demand for worker skills, the effectiveness of mid-career training for adult workers, the roles of school choice, charter schools, state standards and educational technology in improving K-12 education, and the issue of college financial aid.
Learning Resource Types
Problem Sets with Solutions
Exams with Solutions
Lecture Notes
A graph of returns to educational attainment.
Graph showing the median money income of individuals 25 years and older who were employed full-time during all of 1998 by educational attainment. Returns on educational investment is one of the topics covered in this course. (Graph courtesy of the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress.)