Age matters for girls: School entry age and female graduate education

Abstract

Given the time constraints, women face divergent choices in their twenties and thirties. This study investigates the effect of age on women’s graduate education choices. Utilizing the exogenous variations in primary school entry age set by the Compulsory Education Law in China, this study adopts a double-difference strategy. Relative to those entering school at six years of age, a one-year delay in primary school enrollment caused by the birth month cut-off is associated with a significantly lower probability of graduate school enrollment for the women entering school at seven years of age. In contrast, such a finding is absent in the male population. Furthermore, suggestive evidence is provided showing that the marriage market and the labor market can explain the findings of this study. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the Compulsory Education Law improves women’s graduate education investment in China.