This paper investigates the differences in early occupational earnings of UK male graduates
by degree subject during the period 1980-1993. We match administrative student-level data
from the Universities' Statistical Record (USR) and occupational earnings information from
the New Earnings Survey (NES). The paper estimates relative earnings premia by degree
subject using three alternative modeling approaches to control for student self-selection into
university courses: i) a proxying and matching method, ii) a propensity score matching
method, and iii) a simultaneous equations model of subject choice and earnings
determination. Our analysis shows that there is a substantial amount of sample selection
originating from unobservable student characteristics. The ranking of university subjects
based on relative earnings premia is sensitive not only to the modelling approach but also to
time, showing that analyses focusing on single-year data may not generalise to other periods.
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