This study analyzed the consequence of TEFA(Tertiary Education for All) that may have affected
labor market outcomes of college and university graduates in South Korea, using a hierarchical linear
model. In doing so, we estimated the effects of individual background, employment efforts, and
university factors on occupational status and monthly income of the graduates from higher education.
The data for this study were mainly taken from the Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey
(2008GOMS) conducted in 2008 by the Korean Employment and Information Service, and University
Information Data posted by every college and university.
The results show that the factors, such as gender, family income, GPA, and selectivity, have a
significant influence on occupational status and monthly income of college and university graduates.
On the other hand, the factor that lead to the universalization of higher education in Korea-higher
education institutions established under a university registration policy after 1996, is shown to have
negative effect on their labor market outcomes. Furthermore, individual background factors have a
significant influence on the labor market outcomes directly and partly indirectly via a qualitative
differentiation of educational system. Based on this findings, this study concluded that the qualitative
differentiation within educational system may be related to the preserving of the socioeconomically
advantaged their advantages in the era of Tertiary Education for All in Korea.