Acceso a la educación superior ¿Tiene un efecto disuasivo sobre el crimen juvenil? Evidencia para Chile

Abstract

This paper explores whether access to college education in Chile can deter youth criminality, analyzing the effects of a reform implemented in 2006, which increased the possibilities for the young to access higher education institutions: the state-sponsored loan. Using a panel data econometric model (fixed effects) with district-level data, the impact of access to higher education on the rate of arrests and allegations is examined by type of felony and overall. Important evidence is found that the higher the number of individuals taking the College Admission Test, the lower the rate of violent assault and armed robbery.