學歷通膨：為何越來越多台灣的大學畢業生要念碩士班？

Degree Infiation: Why Do More College Graduates Pursue a Master’s Degree in Taiwan?

過去二十年來，台灣的大學畢業生在畢業後報考碩士班的比例有持續增加的趨勢。在本文中，我們試圖以一個簡單靜態模型來解釋這個趨勢。此模型主要從大學畢業生為了追求進入就業市場後可以有更高薪資的角度切入，指出之所以出現此趨勢的關鍵，在於此時期因廣設大學而急速增加的大學畢業生數量，加劇了大學畢業生這一級別就業市場的競爭，進而壓低此級別就業者的起薪。為了得到更高的薪資，便有更多的大學畢業生選擇在畢業後繼續升學，因此導致了越來越多大學畢業生畢業後報考碩士班的趨勢。最後，我們引進了人力資本投資與考慮模型動態變化作為延伸，以豐富模型的解釋能力。

"Over the last two decades, an increasingly rising trend is observed among Taiwanese college graduates pursuing a master’s degree. We interpret this trend by using a simple static model, which takes the view that college graduates are pursuing better salaries and indicates that the key lies in surging number of college graduates in this period that creates fiercer competition in the college-level labor market and hence depressing college-level salaries. To earn a better salary, more college graduates therefore choose to enter master’s programs after graduation, thus creating the growth in those pursuing this higher-level degree. In addition, we take into account human capital investment and consider the dynamics of the model so as to enrich its explanatory ability. "