人力资本理论基本假设的检验:对中国大学生的个案分析

Examining the Basic Hypothesis of Human Capital Investment Theory-A Case Study of Chinese Mainland Undergraduate Students

应用 1998年对中国北京、南京、西安三地 14所高校 13 5 11名大学生的调查数据 ,估计了大学生期望的高等教育收益与回报率 ,以及它们对学生接受高等教育与研究生教育意愿的影响。结果表明 ,人力资本理论的基本假设 ,即学生及其家庭根据教育的市场回报选择最优的教育水平和类型 ,在中国的情景中只获得了部分支持。造成这一结果的原因 ,可能与学生及其家庭在作出高等教育决定时 ,常常缺乏高等教育成本与收益方面的信息 ,或即使了解这方面的信息 ,他们也可能不一定会以经济理性的方式处理它们有关 ,也可能与高等教育的供求机制不同于一般的私人物品 。

Based on the 1998 survey data of 13,511 Chinese mainland students from 14 universities in Beijing, Nanjing and Xi'an, this study estimates the college students' perceived benefits of higher education and expected rates of return to higher education with their effects on the students' educational intentions to continue higher education and postgraduate education. The results reveal that the basic hypothesis of human capital investment theory that students and their families select education on the basis of its profitability over alternative investments is only partially supported in China. One reason is that students and their families often lack the information of the cost and benefit of higher education. They may also have dealt with investment not from the economic rationale even if they have the information. The mechanism of supply and demand for higher education differs from that for private goods. The non-economic benefits of higher education have to be taken into account too.