This paper assesses the impact of university career services on graduates’ earnings. Using data from a Catalan graduate follow up survey for the period 2008-2023, we compare the earnings of graduates that accessed first job after graduation through a university provided careers services, with those entering employment through alternative routes. Drawing on the richness of the dataset, we employ an instrumental variable approach to overcome bias from non-random sorting of graduates into job entry routes. We find an earnings premium for those that accessed the first job through university career service. These effects are particularly strong for women and graduates with limited work experience. To our awareness, this is to date the only estimate of the causal impact of university career services on graduate earnings.
SCANDURRA Rosario;
HERMANNSSON Kristinn;
FUSARO Stefano;
2026-09-10
EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
JRC144268
1758-6577 (online),
https://www.emerald.com/ijm/article/47/10/237/1395871/The-career-services-premium-how-university-job,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144268,
10.1108/IJM-10-2025-0875 (online),
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