What is the value of an education? Volume 4 of the Handbooks in the Economics of Education combines recent data with new methodologies to examine this and related questions from diverse perspectives. School choice and school competition, educator incentives, the college premium, and other considerations help make sense of the investments and returns associated with education. Volume editors Eric A. Hanushek (Stanford), Stephen Machin (University College London) and Ludger Woessmann (Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich) draw clear lines between newly emerging research on the economics of education and prior work. In conjunction with Volume 3, they measure our current understanding of educational acquisition and its economic and social effects.
Winner of a 2011 PROSE Award Honorable Mention in Economics from the Association of American PublishersDemonstrates how new methodologies are yielding fresh perspectives in education economicsPresents topics and authors whose data and conclusions attest to the globalization of research Complements the policy and social outcomes themes of volume 3

The volume of research into the economics of education has grown rapidly in recent years. In this comprehensive new Handbook, editors Eric Hanushek, Stephen Machin, and Ludger Woessmann assemble original contributions from leading researchers, addressing contemporary advances in the field. Each chapter illuminates major methodological and theoretical developments and directs the reader to productive new lines of research. As a result, these concise overviews of the existing literature offer an essential 'jumpstart' for both students and researchers alike.

How does education affect economic and social outcomes, and how can it inform public policy? Volume 3 of theHandbooks in the Economics of Education uses newly available high quality data from around the world to address these and other core questions. With the help ofnew methodological approaches, contributors cover econometric methods and international test score data. They examine the determinants of educational outcomes andissues surrounding teacher salaries and licensure. And reflecting government demandsfor more evidence-based policies, they take new looks at institutional feaures of school systems. Volumeeditors Eric A. Hanushek(Stanford), Stephen Machin (University College London) and Ludger Woessmann (Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich) draw clear lines between newly emergingresearch on the economics of education and prior work. In conjunction with Volume 4, theymeasureour current understanding of educationalacquisition and its economic and socialeffects.
Uses rich data to study issues of high contemporary policy relevanceDemonstrates how education serves as an importantdeterminant of economic and social outcomesBenefits fromthe globalization of research in the economics of education"