
Dr. Ren Mu (Robert H. and Judy L. Allen Professor of the Department of International Affairs of the Bush School and ISTPP Research Fellow) and Dr. Xinsheng Liu (ISTPP Senior Research Scholar and Research Scientist) published an article entitled “Perceived Returns to College Education by Ethnicity: Evidence from China” in Economics Letters.
In this study, Mu and Liu investigate perceived returns to education as a potential factor contributing to ethnic differences in schooling outcomes in Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of China. Drawing upon data from a 2019 household survey, the paper leverages specially designed survey instruments based on vignette questions to capture respondents’ ethnicity-specific perceived returns to college education. It finds that Mongolian respondents perceive significantly higher returns to education when the vignette person has a Mongolian name. This result remains robust after accounting for sample attrition issues. The finding establishes a strong correlation between perceived returns to education and educational outcomes in the context of China and highlights the heterogeneity within ethnic minority groups.
Mu, Ren, and Xinsheng Liu. 2024. “Perceived Returns to College Education by Ethnicity: Evidence from China,” Economics Letters 236: 111625