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Income and Access to Higher Education: Are High Quality Universities Becoming More or Less Elite? A Longitudinal Analysis of Admissions at UW-Madison

Author

Listed:
  • John F. Witte
  • Barbara Wolfe
  • Sara E. Dahill-Brown

Abstract

Has access to selective post-secondary schools expanded or contracted? Evaluating this question has proven a difficult task due to limited data and biased measures of family income. We complement previous work and provide a replicable model of institutional analysis. This paper presents a detailed assessment of admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a major public university – the kind that is supposed to offer excellent opportunities to students from all backgrounds. We employ an innovative measure of family income to compare applicant and admissions trends for low-income students against those for minority students from 1972-2007. We conclude with a discussion of policy alternatives for closing enrollment gaps, and offer a cautionary note about the potential efficacy of affirmative action.

Suggested Citation

  • John F. Witte & Barbara Wolfe & Sara E. Dahill-Brown, 2013. "Income and Access to Higher Education: Are High Quality Universities Becoming More or Less Elite? A Longitudinal Analysis of Admissions at UW-Madison," CEPR Discussion Papers 681, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:auu:dpaper:681
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    File URL: https://www.cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/CEPR/DP681.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Laura W. Perna & Heather Rowan-Kenyon & Angela Bell & Scott L. Thomas & Chunyan Li, 2008. "A Typology of Federal and State Programs Designed to Promote College Enrollment," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(3), pages 243-267, May.
    2. Caroline M. Hoxby, 2009. "The Changing Selectivity of American Colleges," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(4), pages 95-118, Fall.
    3. Philippe Belley & Lance Lochner, 2007. "The Changing Role of Family Income and Ability in Determining Educational Achievement," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 37-89.
    4. Pallais, Amanda & Turner, Sarah, 2006. "Opportunities for Low–Income Students at Top Colleges and Universities: Policy Initiatives and the Distribution of Students," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 59(2), pages 357-386, June.
    5. Stacy Berg Dale & Alan B. Krueger, 2002. "Estimating the Payoff to Attending a More Selective College: An Application of Selection on Observables and Unobservables," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 117(4), pages 1491-1527.
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    Keywords

    higher education; admission; affirmative action; income; college application;
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