The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges

Eleanor Dillon and Jeffrey Smith

No 6344, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: We consider the effects of student ability, college quality, and the interaction between the two on academic outcomes and future earnings using data on two cohorts of college enrollees drawn from the NLSY-79 and the NLSY-97. We find that student sorting has increased modestly between cohorts, and that student ability and college quality strongly improve degree completion and earnings. These patterns imply that, on average, students benefit from “overmatch” of the sort generated by affirmative action in admissions. We find little evidence of match effects on degree completion at eight years or on STEM degree completion, but suggestive evidence of some complementarity between student ability and college quality in degree completion at four years and long-term earnings. Such complementarity implies a tradeoff between equity and efficiency for policies that move lower ability students to higher quality colleges.

Keywords: college mismatch; college quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I24 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges (2020)
Working Paper: The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges (2018)
Working Paper: The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges (2018)
Working Paper: The consequences of academic match between students and colleges (2016)
Working Paper: The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges (2015)
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