<p>Check out
<em>Estimating the Return to Schooling: Progress on Some Persistent Econometric
Problems</em> by David Card (2001) <strong>ECA</strong></p>

<p>I know distance from school has been used in the past as an IV..although it has been criticized.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-14T20:32:01.680Z
I appreciate the reference +1. If someone wanted to write a self-contained answer that would be even better.
Martin Van der Linden
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-14T01:10:16.557Z
2016-01-14T01:10:16.557Z
ChinG
<p>As an answer to question “<a href="https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/5305/seminal-papers-that-later-were-proven-to-contain-errors/5315#5315">Seminal papers that later were proven to contain errors</a>”, @<a href="https://economics.stackexchange.com/users/4193/snoram">snoram</a> mentioned Angrist and Krueger (1991), and there use of quarter of birth as an (exogenous) instrument for education.</p>

<p>@snoram illustrates using (Buckles and Hungerman, 2013) how quarter of birth is in fact correlated with important characteristics of the mother. </p>

<p>In a comment, @snoram write:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“For the record I think Angrist and Krueger's work is amazing, but
  today we know better than to use quarter of birth (in the us at least
  and for this purpose) as an instrument. Science advances.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>My question</strong> : which variables are know to be better than quarter of birth as instruments for, say, “years of schooling” (or more generally “education”)?</p>

<econometrics><instrumental-variable>
Best instruments for "years of schooling"/"education"
Martin Van der Linden
# Best instruments for "years of schooling"/"education"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-01-13)

As an answer to question “[Seminal papers that later were proven to contain errors](https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/5305/seminal-papers-that-later-were-proven-to-contain-errors/5315#5315)”, @[snoram](https://economics.stackexchange.com/users/4193/snoram) mentioned Angrist and Krueger (1991), and there use of quarter of birth as an (exogenous) instrument for education.

@snoram illustrates using (Buckles and Hungerman, 2013) how quarter of birth is in fact correlated with important characteristics of the mother.

In a comment, @snoram write:

> “For the record I think Angrist and Krueger's work is amazing, but
> today we know better than to use quarter of birth (in the us at least
> and for this purpose) as an instrument. Science advances.”

**My question** : which variables are know to be better than quarter of birth as instruments for, say, “years of schooling” (or more generally “education”)?

**Tags:** econometrics, instrumental-variable

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-01-14. Score: 3

Check out
*Estimating the Return to Schooling: Progress on Some Persistent Econometric
Problems* by David Card (2001) **ECA**

I know distance from school has been used in the past as an IV..although it has been criticized.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I appreciate the reference +1. If someone wanted to write a self-contained answer that would be even better.  

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