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Education is a central feature in the lives of children, youths and many adults – from preschool to higher education and adult education. The costs for education are primarily costs for personnel and premises. For older students, education also means loss of income. Incomes are created if the education provides knowledge and skills that are valued on the labour market and by society as a whole.

Within research on the economics of education, we study how different investments in education affect people’s welfare, their success on the labour market and society as a whole. It might take some time before it is possible to evaluate the labour market effects of individual measures since the individuals must first complete their education and then enter the labour market. Thus, it is common for research to study factors that experience shows to be connected to success on the labour market, for example grades and exam results or measures of motivation, endurance and discipline.

We study how individuals’ skills, welfare and their situation on the labour market are affected by:

-time period in education, field of study and the organiser of the education

-resources in the educational system

-how the education is organised

-family background and incentives for education