Kristoffer Hvidberg (U Aarhus)

Title: Preferences and Choice of Education

When: Monday, 20 October 2025, 11:30 am – 13:00 pm

Where: Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz, lecture hall 7 (1st floor) (map)

Abstract:

We investigate whether economic preferences influence educational choices independently of cognitive ability. Using incentivized experiments with over 4,000 Danish 19-year-olds linked to administrative records, we find that patience predicts enrollment in longer educational programs, while risk aversion predicts selection into programs with lower earnings dispersion. Both effects persist after controlling for cognitive ability measured by GPA, demographic characteristics, and parental background. Our results demonstrate that economic preferences explain variation in educational choices beyond academic background and achievement, with implications for understanding human capital investment.