Affirmative Action and Stereotypes in Higher Education Admissions

Prasad Krishnamurthy () and Aaron Edlin ()

No 20629, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We analyze how admission policies affect stereotypes against students from disadvantaged groups. Many critics of affirmative action argue that lower admission standards cause such stereotypes and suggest group-blind admissions as a remedy. We show that when stereotypes result from social inequality, they can persist under group-blind admissions. In such cases, eliminating stereotypes perversely requires a higher admission standard for disadvantaged students. If a school seeks both to treat students equally and limit stereotypes, the optimal admission policy would still impose a higher standard on disadvantaged students. A third goal, such as equal representation, is required to justify group-blind admissions. Even when there is such a third goal, group-blind admissions are optimal only when the conflicting goals of equal representation and limiting stereotypes exactly balance. This is an implausible justification for group-blind admission because it implies that some schools desire higher standards for disadvantaged students. Schools that do not desire such higher standards will typically find some amount of affirmative action to be optimal.

JEL-codes: D0 D3 D63 D82 I23 I24 K00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-law
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