Education and Social Attitudes Toward Internal Migrants: Causal Evidence From China

ABSTRACT This article examines the causal impact of educational attainment on natives' attitudes toward internal migrants in China, a question central to understanding the social foundations of integration in rapidly urbanizing societies. Using nationally representative data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), we find that higher education significantly improves natives' perceptions and behaviors toward migrants, fostering more inclusive social environments. To address endogeneity, we implement a regression discontinuity design (RDD) that exploits exogenous variation from the 1986 Compulsory Education Law. The results reveal a robust positive effect of education on pro‐migrant attitudes. We identify multiple underlying mechanisms, including improved Mandarin proficiency, reduced perceived job competition, greater interpersonal trust, enhanced mental well‐being, and increased recognition of migrants' contributions to local development. Notably, the language and cultural channel serves as the primary mechanism in explaining this effect. These effects are more pronounced in cities with larger migrant populations and in regions experiencing economic shocks. Our findings underscore the role of human capital development in shaping social attitudes and highlight education policy as a strategic lever for strengthening social cohesion and promoting migrant integration in urban China.