The Impact of Post-secondary Education on Life Satisfaction of Immigrants and Natives: Evidence from Canada

Abstract

Educational attainment is widely recognized as a crucial socio-economic factor that influences life satisfaction. However, there is limited knowledge about its specific impact on life satisfaction, as it is often treated as a control variable in research. This thesis aims to investigate the impact of post-secondary education on the life satisfaction of immigrants and native individuals in Canada using the ordered probit technique and data from the annual component (2017-2018) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The findings of this thesis reveal a positive association between post-secondary education and life satisfaction in Canada, with a slightly stronger correlation observed among immigrants compared to natives. Both groups, especially those with post-secondary education, report higher levels of life satisfaction compared to those without such education. These findings underscore the importance of increasing access to higher education opportunities for both natives and immigrants, as it contributes to overall well-being improvements for individuals, families, and communities. Furthermore, the study indicates that the difference in the associations between post-secondary education and life satisfaction for immigrants and Canadian-born individuals is not statistically significant, suggesting a similar positive correlation of post-secondary education with life satisfaction for both groups within the study population.