Return to schooling in China: a large meta-analysis

Abstract

In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of 2,191 empirical results reported in 213 existing studies to estimate the Mincer-type return to schooling in China. The results revealed that the return to schooling showed a positive impact, and the effect size was medium in terms of the partial correlation coefficient. We also found that workers in non-state sectors and urban regions, urban hukou workers, and women tend to have higher returns to schooling than their counterparts. Furthermore, the results indicate that the return to schooling registered a significant increase over time.