The Cost of Obtaining a Four-Year Degree Is $120,000 for Low-Ability

question 35

Essay

The cost of obtaining a four-year degree is $120,000 for low-ability workers and $60,000 for high-ability workers. Suppose that workers without a four-year degree are paid lifetime wages of $500,000. For education to be an effective signal of ability, what range of lifetime earnings must be paid to workers with a four-year degree?

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Definitions:

Imines

Organic compounds characterized by the group C=N, formed by the condensation of an aldehyde or ketone with an amine.

Acid-Catalyzed

A chemical reaction that is accelerated in the presence of an acid, which acts as a catalyst to increase the rate of the reaction.

Organic Product

A compound or material derived from living organisms or produced through organic reactions.

Acid Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction through donation of protons (H+ ions) without undergoing any permanent chemical change itself.