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Working Paper
College Access and Attendance Patterns: A Long-Run View
We harmonize the results of 42 different data sets and studies dating back to the early 20th century to construct a time series of college attendance patterns for the United States. We find an important reversal around the time of World War II: before that time, family characteristics such as income were the better predictor of college attendance; afterwards, academic ability was the better predictor. We construct a model of college choice that can explain this reversal. The model's central mechanism is an exogenous rise in the demand for college that leads better colleges to become ...
Briefing
Race and Economic Outcomes: A Conference Recap
How does monetary policy affect racial inequality and minority unemployment? What explains the difference in marriage rates between Black and White Americans? How do racial preferences in college admissions affect who gets in? Do historical discriminatory institutions have effects on current socioeconomic outcomes? These were among the questions addressed by economists during a recent Richmond Fed research conference.