The impact of attending an independent upper secondary school: Evidence from Sweden using school ranking data

Karin Edmark and Lovisa Persson

Economics of Education Review, 2021, vol. 84, issue C

Abstract: Since the 1990s, the Swedish education market has gone through a dramatic transformation due to the introduction of voucher-funded independent schools. We make use of data on school applications to condition on student preferences for independent versus public education, and estimate a positive relationship between independent upper secondary school attendance and grades, graduation rates, and post-secondary education. We however also find strong indications of more lenient grading standards in independent schools, especially in schools organized as for-profit entities and in schools with a low share of qualified teachers. Our results suggest that, although independent school attendance seems to benefit the individual students in terms of higher grades and increased transition to post-secondary studies, grade inflation in the Swedish upper secondary independent schools may be a serious problem.

Keywords: Private provision; Mixed markets; Voucher school reform; Upper secondary education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H44 I21 I26 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Impact of Attending an Independent Upper Secondary School: Evidence from Sweden Using School Ranking Data (2020)
Working Paper: The Impact of Attending an Independent Upper Secondary School: Evidence from Sweden Using School Ranking Data (2020)
Working Paper: The Impact of Attending An Independent Upper Secondary School: Evidence from Sweden Using School Ranking Data (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:84:y:2021:i:c:s0272775721000674

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102148

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