Self-Selection, University Courses and Returns to Advanced Degrees

Abstract: Higher education often requires choosing a bachelor's and a master's degree, yet the returns of these combined choices and the role of courses in different disciplines remain understudied. This paper addresses this gap using detailed data on Italian graduates and university programs. I study the labor market returns to combinations of bachelor's and master's degrees and investigate how curriculum characteristics affect outcomes. I exploit exogenous variation in access to bachelor's and master's degrees to causally estimate the returns to 43 combinations of degrees. I organize the data in a nested model with exogenous variation in admission requirements and explore the preference profile of the sample through policy simulations that shift these requirements. I then relate the estimated returns to the academic curriculum of degrees, focusing on the role of quantitative education and timing of courses. I contribute to the literature on returns to advanced degrees by incorporating master's degrees in the discussion on how higher education affects outcomes and providing evidence on the characteristics of curricula that are positively related to labor market returns. The findings reveal substantial variation in returns to degree combinations, even among combinations with the same bachelor's degree, indicating the need to consider both types of programs. Combinations of degrees in different disciplines positively impact economic outcomes, while those in the same field perform worse. Successful combinations feature more non-quantitative education in the bachelor's, and quantitative courses alone do not explain higher returns.