Market and Nonmarket Influences on Curriculum Choice by College Students

Abstract

Many labor economists and other researchers have attempted to develop models of the workings of the market for college-trained manpower. This paper reviews this previous research on curriculum choice and then tests an alternative model with data on choices made by male baccalaureates across a wide spectrum of science and engineering curricula. The influence of both methodology and the analytical framework on the identification of relevant variables is explored. Particular attention is then given to nonmarket influences, typically assumed in previous studies not to play a significant role. Results for pooled and time-series specifications provide some support for the hypothesis that curriculum choice follows labor market developments, but they also suggest that abilities and interests may be important predictors.