Question
A student is looking for data in order to conduct a regression analysis.
She writes I am “trying to see if taking gap years or just taking longer time to graduate for other reasons will effect the wage of that person.The data that I am looking at should have wages, and some other variable that will be able to tell me if the person took longer time than expected to graduate.”
Data on level of degree obtained is available, but we can’t locate anything on years to complete the degree. Canadian data is preferable, but U.S. would be taken if necessary.
Additional Question
Would number of years taken to complete a graduate degree be available as well? I am looking for Canadian data.
Answer
Subject matter has provided the following suggestion for this request:
“I took a look at the NGS codebook and there is variables that would provide you with the duration of an education program. The variables [that] would give you the start date of the program are:
- PR_Q06A - In what year did you start your program at (your educational institution)?
- PR_Q06B - In what month was that?
Then the variables [that would give the end date of a program are]:
- PR_Q11A - In what year did you complete the requirements for your (certificate / diploma / degree) program? By "complete the requirements" I mean write the last exam, submit the last paper, report or assignment, or successfully defend your thesis.
- PR_Q11B - In what month was that?
If we use these 4 variables we are able to find the duration of the program.”
I was unable to locate any additional surveys apart from the NGS; this would be the best source to start with.
Followup Question
Thankyou but unfortunately, those variables aren’t included in the PUMF. The income variables aren’t either. In this case, the student needs it for a paper so a custom tabulation, even if available, will be out of the question.
However, for the future, are custom tabs available on the NGS?
Followup Answer
Unfortunately those variables are only available in the Masterfile. As for your question, subject matter has confirmed that it is possible to create custom tables for the NGS.
