Educational Expansions and Fertility
Evidence from Norwegian College Reforms
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11295169 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adrian Farner Rogne (0000-0003-2617-161X, Forskning.no (Norway), corresponding author), Agnes Fauske (0000-0003-0134-9960, University of Oslo), Rannveig Kaldager Hart (0000-0003-3140-1942, Norwegian Institute of Public Health) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 14-14 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Population / Revue européenne de Démographie (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0168-6577 • E-ISSN: 1572-9885 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10680-025-09737-7 |
| PMID | 40455089 |
| OpenAlex | W4410968049 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 48 |
Previous research has pointed to educational expansions and increased educational attainment among women as an important factor contributing to reductions in fertility levels and changes in family formation patterns in the second half of the twentieth century. We investigate one potential mechanism that may have contributed to these developments—the establishment of local colleges providing access to higher education for broader segments of the population. We study the establishment of regional colleges in Norway 1973–83. Taking advantage of population-wide administrative register data, historical data sources and recent developments in difference-in-differences methodology, we employ an event study design to assess the impact of local colleges on cohort fertility and age-specific fertility outcomes, as well as age at marriage and regional mobility as potential mechanisms. Our findings suggest that access to local colleges did not impact fertility, family formation or mobility to any substantial degree
Cohort · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Educational attainment · Family planning · Fertility · Geography · Norwegian · Political science · Population · Research methodology · Sociology · Total fertility rate · Demography · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Medicine
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| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |