RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Consequences of Academic Match between Students and Colleges
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0818-9702R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.55.3.0818-9702R1
A1 Eleanor Wiske Dillon
A1 Jeffrey Andrew Smith
YR 2019
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2019/11/07/jhr.55.3.0818-9702R1.abstract
AB We consider the effects of student ability, college quality, and the interaction between the two on academic outcomes and earnings using data on two cohorts of college enrollees. Student ability and college quality strongly improve degree completion and earnings for all students. We find evidence of meaningful complementarity between student ability and college quality in degree completion at four years and long-term earnings, but not in degree completion at six years or STEM degree completion. This complementarity implies some tradeoff between equity and efficiency for policies that move lower ability students to higher quality colleges.