Timing of Educational Attainment and Its Impact on Health and Cognition
Author Information
Author(s): Bolz Fabio, Warren John, Grodsky Eric, Muller Chandra
Primary Institution: University of Minnesota
Hypothesis
Does the impact of educational attainment on midlife health and cognition vary by age of degree attainment?
Conclusion
Bachelor’s degrees obtained later in life are linked to lower cognitive functioning at midlife, but those who earn degrees after age 40 still perform better cognitively than those without a degree.
Supporting Evidence
- Bachelor’s degrees obtained later in life are associated with lower cognitive functioning at midlife.
- Individuals who obtain college degrees after age 40 still display higher cognitive functioning than those without a degree.
- Rates of hypertension and diabetes do not differ for those who obtained their college degree after age 30 compared to those without degrees.
Takeaway
Getting a college degree later in life might not help your brain as much as getting it earlier, but it's still better than not having a degree at all.
Methodology
The study used OLS and logistic regression models on nationally representative longitudinal data from High School and Beyond (HSB).
Participant Demographics
The study considers differences in timing of educational attainment by gender and race.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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