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School Choice in Amsterdam: Which Schools are Chosen When School Choice is Free?

Author

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  • Nienke Ruijs

    (Dutch Inspectorate of Education 3544 AC Utrecht The Netherlands Author email: n.m.ruijs@owinsp.nl)

  • Hessel Oosterbeek

    (Amsterdam School of Economics University of Amsterdam 1018 WB Amsterdam The Netherlands Author email: h.oosterbeek@uva.nl)

Abstract

Using discrete choice models, this paper investigates the determinants of secondary school choice in the city of Amsterdam. In this city, there are many schools to choose from and school choice is virtually unrestricted (no catchment areas, low or no tuition fees, short distances). We find that school choice is related to exam grades and the quality of incoming students, but not to progression in lower grades, no delay in higher grades, and a composite measure of quality published by a national newspaper. Furthermore, students appear to prefer schools that are close to their home and schools that many of their former classmates in primary school attend.

Suggested Citation

  • Nienke Ruijs & Hessel Oosterbeek, 2019. "School Choice in Amsterdam: Which Schools are Chosen When School Choice is Free?," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 14(1), pages 1-30, Winter.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:14:y:2019:i:1:p:1-30
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Trajkovski, Samantha & Zabel, Jeffrey & Schwartz, Amy Ellen, 2021. "Do school buses make school choice work?," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    3. Greaves, Ellen & Turon, Hélène, 2024. "School Choice and Neighborhood Sorting: Equilibrium Consequences of Geographic School Admissions," IZA Discussion Papers 16805, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Rodríguez-Álvarez, Carmelo & Romero-Medina, Antonio, 2024. "School choice with transferable student characteristics," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 103-124.
    5. Bles, Per & van der Velden, Rolf & Ariës, Roel J., 2020. "Is there an opportunity-performance trade-off in secondary education?," Research Memorandum 022, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    6. Oosterbeek, Hessel & Sóvágó, Sándor & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2021. "Preference heterogeneity and school segregation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    7. Art Shala & Xhevat Sopi, 2022. "Communication channels consumption across awareness building, information search and school choice - perspectives from the VET sector in Kosovo," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 23(1), pages 109-118, June.

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