Ethnic registration and tertiary-level education of children of mixed native couples: Register-based evidence from Finland

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Using population register data, we examine how intermarried parents’ choice of ethnic registration of their children is associated with the offspring's probability of having a tertiary-level education. The study context concerns two ethnic groups, Finnish speakers and Swedish speakers in Finland, which are native and have equal constitutional rights, but have unequal admittance rates to tertiary-level education. We find that a mixed background per se does not play any crucial role for educational attainment, but that own ethnic affiliation matters. Swedish-registered males and females with mixed background are more likely to be higher educated than their Finnish-registered counterparts. The difference is more pronounced if it is the father and not the mother who is Swedish registered. These findings illustrate that intermarried parents’ ethnic registration of their children may have far-reaching consequences for the children's educational opportunities. Intermarried parents may well opt for the minority group if the choice may promote the child's future educational chances.