Time to degree: students' abilities, university characteristics or something else? Evidence from Italy

We use a representative sample of Italian graduates drawn from the Consorzio AlmaLaurea to assess the impact of individual and family characteristics, university inputs and the labour market on the time taken to attain a degree. Our estimates highlight that all these dimensions drive the outcome analysed. Weak labour market prospects contribute particularly to length time to degree. Our results suggest that a comprehensive policy intervention is needed to increase the number of students graduating within the minimum period.