The Effects of Participation in High School Athletics and the National Honor Society on Future Earnings

The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of two select types of high school extracurricular activities on future earnings: athletics and the National Honor Society. Utilizing data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and a two-stage least squares estimation technique, the results of the present study indicate that high school athletes earn more in later years than honor society students. In fact, after controlling for academic achievement, honor society students earned no more in later years than non-honor society students. Finally, in examining the impact of participation in extra-curricular activities on future earnings, results of the present study suggest that participation in such activities increases earnings later in life.