Returns to Schooling in European Emerging Markets: A Meta-Analysis

This paper conducts a meta-analysis of 1599 estimates extracted from 69 previous studies to identify time-series changes in returns to schooling in 20 European emerging markets. We examine possible difference in returns to schooling across the region. A meta-synthesis suggests a decreasing trend over time in returns to schooling in European emerging markets. Synthesis results also indicate that the western part of the region tends to have higher returns to schooling than the eastern part. Both the meta-regression analysis of literature heterogeneity and the test for publication selection bias produced findings that are highly consistent with the meta-synthesis results.