The full extent of student-college academic undermatch

Jonathan Smith, Matea Pender and Jessica Howell

Economics of Education Review, 2013, vol. 32, issue C, 247-261

Abstract: This paper quantifies the extent of student-college “academic undermatch,” which occurs when a student's academic credentials permit them access to a college or university that is more selective than the postsecondary alternative they actually choose. Using a nationally representative dataset, we find that 41 percent of students undermatch in their postsecondary choice. We also find that academic undermatch affects students with a range of academic credentials, but is more common among those students from low socioeconomic status families, who live in rural areas, and whose parents have no college degree. Finally, we show that between the 1992 and 2004 high school senior cohorts, academic undermatch has decreased by nearly 20 percent. The decrease is partially due to students being more likely to apply to a matched college.

Keywords: Educational economics; College choice; Postsecondary education; Mismatch; Undermatch (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I2 I23 I24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (86)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:32:y:2013:i:c:p:247-261

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.11.001

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