This article examines the quality of Hong Kong's sub-degree level education provided by the self-financing institutes in terms of its impact on the earnings of workers, based on Hong Kong's 2006 by-census data. Education is an investment in human capital that enhances the productivity of workers and increases their lifetime incomes; and a more productive investment will produce a higher rate of return. The effects of education on workers' earnings can be regarded as a proxy for measuring the quality of education undertaken. This study shows that, as regards earnings, and therefore (indirectly) quality, the quality of sub-degree level education provided by some self-financing institutes is statistically significantly lower than that provided by publicly-funded institutes.
[Copyright of Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2012.689180]