College graduates healthier than non-grads, study shows | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › College graduates healthier than non-grads, study shows College graduates healthier than non-grads, study shows Published: July 22, 2013 Author: Brittany Collins Abigail Wozniak It’s generally understood that people with college degrees earn more money than those who did not attend college, and new research now shows that a college degree also boosts health. According to a study from the University of Notre Dame, college graduates experience long-term health effects not seen in non-college grads. The study, titled “The Effect of College Education on Health,” is part of the National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series. Notre Dame Economists Kasey Buckles, Abigail Wozniak and Andreas Hagemann, together with Melinda Sandler Morrill from North Carolina State University and Ofer Malamud from the University of Chicago, examined the completion of college on adult mortality and found a 28 percent reduction in early mortality for college graduates. Using variation in college completion induced by draft-avoidance during the Vietnam War, the researchers were able to identify the effect of increased higher education on the later health status of men who were eligible to be drafted into the war. They focused on the cumulative mortality rate between 1981 and 2007, taking into account factors such as better health insurance and higher wages enjoyed by college graduates, as well as the relationship between college completion and various health behaviors such as smoking, exercise and obesity. Much of the decrease in mortality was driven by fewer deaths from cancer and heart disease. Contact: Abigail Wozniak, 574-631-6208, awozniak@nd.edu Posted In: Research Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 05, 2022 Astrophysicists find evidence for the presence of the first stars October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 22, 2022 Climate-prepared countries are losing ground, latest ND-GAIN index shows For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn