Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:31:57.855Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Do Rural Community Colleges Supply Unique Educational Benefits?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2015

Elton Mykerezi
Affiliation:
Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN
Genti Kostandini
Affiliation:
Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA
Bradford Mills
Affiliation:
Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Abstract

Community colleges likely draw to college individuals who would otherwise not attend due to their low costs and open admission requirements. This is labeled as the democratization effect. They may also divert individuals away from 4-year to terminal 2-year college degrees (the diversion effect). This study estimates democratization and diversion effects separately for nonmetropolitan and metropolitan youth using nationally representative data and models that account for endogenous institution selection. We find the democratization effect to exceed the diversion effect of community colleges for both metro and nonmetro youth. The democratization-diversion ratio is slightly higher for urban youth.

Type
Invited Paper Sessions
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.Department of Labor. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort, 1979–2006” [computer file]. Columbus, OH: Center for Human Resource Research, The Ohio State University, 2006.Google Scholar
Card, D.Using Geographic Variation in College Proximity to Estimate the Return to Schooling.” Aspects of Labour Market Behaviour: Essays in Honour of John Vanderkamp. Christofides, L.N., Grant, E.K., and Swidinsky, R. eds. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995.Google Scholar
Cavan, J.The Comprehensive Mission of Rural Community Colleges.” New Directions for Community Colleges 90(1995:916.Google Scholar
Heckman, J.JSample Selection Bias as a Specification Error.” Econometrica 47(1979): 153–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, L.Some Approaches to the Correction of Selectivity Bias.” The Review of Economic Studies 49(1982:355–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, L.Notes and Comments, Generalized Econometric Models with Selectivity.” Econometrica 51(1983:507–12.Google Scholar
Leigh, D.E., and Gill, A.M.Do Community Colleges Really Divert Students from Earning Bachelor's Degrees?Economics of Education Review 22(2003:2330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mykerezi, E., and Mills, B.F.Economic Growth in Racially Diverse Rural Counties: The Contribution of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” The Review of Regional Studies 34(2004:303–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rouse, C.EDemocratization or Diversion? The Effect of Community Colleges on Educational Attainment.” Journal of Business & Economic Statistics 13(1995:217–24.Google Scholar
US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Internet site: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/RuralUrbanContinuumCodes/ (Accessed November 24, 2008).Google Scholar