The overarching objective of PURE is to study the impact of different systems of public financial support for school attendance and of differences in educational differentiation and school admission rules (free or selective entry) on observed outcomes in the labour market, in particular, in terms of the levels and dispersion of private returns to education and education-related inequality in earnings.

 This objective will be reached by examining broad national data sets containing extensive individual-level information on wages and education, and by linking the observed patterns and trends to national educational systems and policies.

The project involves 15 European countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.