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Yang “Rachel” Zhou

Research Data Specialist

Yang “Rachel” Zhou conducts quantitative research on the transitions from high school to college and the workforce, college persistence and performance, and the impact of financial aid programs on academic and labor market outcomes.

Zhou earned a PhD in the Economics and Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University and was a senior research assistant at CCRC. She received a master’s degree in economics from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Hong Kong.

Prior to joining CCRC, Zhou was a research assistant on higher education policy for the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, where she worked to assess the impact of minimum high school course requirements for college in North Carolina and to evaluate the effect of an aid program at an elite public university on postsecondary success. Currently, Zhou is a Research Data Specialist at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

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Publications by Yang “Rachel” Zhou

February 2024

Heterogeneity in Labor Market Returns to Master’s Degrees: Evidence from Ohio

This Annenberg Institute working paper provides up-to-date causal evidence on labor market returns to master’s degrees and examines heterogeneity in the returns by field area, student demographics, and initial labor market conditions.
February 2023

Six Years Later: Examining the Academic and Employment Outcomes of the Original and Reinstated Summer Pell

Using administrative data from the City University of New York (CUNY), this paper examines the impact of the summer Pell program on community college student persistence, completion, and employment outcomes.
February 2023

Understanding Experiential Learning Through Work-Based College Coursetaking: Evidence From Transcript Data Using a Text Mining Technique

Using an innovative text mining technique on transcript data from a large public college system, this paper examines patterns and post-degree labor market outcomes of taking work-based courses at two-year and four-year colleges in that system.
March 2017

Does the Federal Work-Study Program Really Work—and for Whom?

This brief discusses current research, including CAPSEE analysis, regarding both the effectiveness of the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program and its equity in terms of the distribution of funds.

Recent Publications

February 2024

Heterogeneity in Labor Market Returns to Master’s Degrees: Evidence from Ohio

February 2023

Six Years Later: Examining the Academic and Employment Outcomes of the Original and Reinstated Summer Pell

February 2023

Understanding Experiential Learning Through Work-Based College Coursetaking: Evidence From Transcript Data Using a Text Mining Technique

March 2017

Does the Federal Work-Study Program Really Work—and for Whom?

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