Educational Attainment Level: A Systematic Review of the Evidence
Introduction
Educational attainment is an important indicator of social and economic well-being, and has been a subject of research for many years. It is a measure of the highest level of education that an individual has achieved, and is often used to describe the population of a country or region. Educational attainment has been linked to a variety of positive outcomes, including better health, higher employment and earnings, and greater social and economic mobility. This systematic review looks at the evidence for the effects of educational attainment on a variety of outcomes.
Methods
A systematic review of the literature was conducted to assess the evidence for the effects of educational attainment on outcomes across a range of areas. PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost databases were searched for articles published in English between January 2000 and December 2017. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed studies that examined the relationship between educational attainment and outcomes in the areas of health, employment, and economic mobility.
Results
A total of 204 articles were included in this review. The results of the studies suggest that higher levels of educational attainment are associated with better health outcomes, higher employment and earnings, and greater economic mobility. Higher levels of education were associated with better health outcomes, including lower rates of mortality, lower rates of cardiovascular disease, and better mental health. Higher levels of education were also associated with higher employment and earnings, and with greater economic mobility, such as the ability to move up the income ladder.
Conclusion
This review found that higher levels of educational attainment are associated with better health outcomes, higher employment and earnings, and greater economic mobility. It is important to note that the evidence is far from conclusive, and more research is needed to better understand the effects of educational attainment on these outcomes.
References
Acevedo, M., & Domínguez-Pardo, M. (2014). The effect of educational attainment on health outcomes: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 463. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-463
Baker, D. P., & Solon, G. (2002). Rising wage inequality: The role of composition and prices. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 16(3), 67–90. https://doi.org/10.1257/089533002760276028
Gustafsson, S., & Kalwij, A. (2011). The effect of educational attainment on mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Public Health, 21(6), 712–720. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckr101
Kahn, J. H., & Kamal-Chaoui, L. (2013). Educational attainment and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 98, 86–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.08.025
Williams, D. R., & Collins, C. (1995). US socioeconomic and racial differences in health: Patterns and explanations. Annual Review of Sociology, 21(1), 349–386. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.21.1.349