CEPEO Seminar Series - Silke Anger

The post-secondary education choice influences long-term life and labor market outcomes, and poses a complex decision problem under uncertainty for high school students. This study examines the causal effects of a large-scale school policy in Germany that expands the free access to assistance from professional career counselors. By randomly varying the start of the policy for a subset of schools, we find that the students in treatment schools are more likely to attend a career presentation and personal one-on-one meetings. The policy translates to unanticipated effects on the actual education decisions. Students in treatment schools move away from college education, particularly from universities and are less likely to choose natural science and engineering degrees. However, they report greater satisfaction with their choice and a lower likelihood to drop out.