The importance of geographical attributes in the decision to attend college

Studies of educational achievement have focused primarily on individual, family, and school-level influences. Yet, economic theory suggests that the expected economic returns to obtaining an education are also important. Two key determinants of these returns, the costs of obtaining an education and the employment opportunities available after receiving education, are often shaped at the local and regional levels. This paper examines the socio-economic correlates with the decision to attend college in Sweden in 1995. Data obtained from a unique geographically descriptive micro-database called TOtal Population of SWeden, INdividual and Geographical database (TOPSWING) make it possible to conduct analyses of the decision to attend college using numerous individual, family, neighborhood, and labor market region variables. This paper shows that few geographical variables are associated with college attendance. However, the proportion of college educated residents at both the neighborhood and labor market levels, as well as proximity to a college, increase the likelihood of attending college.