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Attrition in Economics Ph.D. Programs

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Author Info
Wendy A. Stock () (Department of Economics and Agricultural Economics, Montana State University)
T. Aldrich Finegan () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)
John J. Siegfried () (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University and AEA)

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Abstract

Information about 586 individuals who matriculated into 27 economics Ph.D. programs in Fall 2002 is used to estimate first and second year attrition rates. After two years, 26.5 percent of the initial cohort had left, equally divided between the first and second years. Attrition varies widely across individual programs. It is lower among the most highly rated 15 programs, for students with higher verbal and quantitative GRE scores, and for those on a research assistantship. Poor academic performance is the most cited reason for withdrawal. About 15 percent transfer to other economics programs because they are dissatisfied with some aspect of the particular program where they first enrolled.

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File URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/wparchive/workpaper/vu06-w08.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: First version, 2006
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University in its series Working Papers with number 0608.

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Date of creation: Mar 2006
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Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:0608

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Related research
Keywords: Attrition dropouts economics Ph.D. programs

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economics Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Pantelis Kalaitzidakis & Theofanis P Mamuneas & Thanasis Stengos, 2001. "Rankings of Academic Journals and Institutions in Economics," Discussion Papers in Economics 01/8, Department of Economics, University of Leicester. [Downloadable!]
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  2. van Ours, J. C. & Ridder, G., 2003. "Fast track or failure: a study of the graduation and dropout rates of Ph D students in economics," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 157-166, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Ronald G. Ehrenberg & Panagiotis G. Mavros, 1995. "Do Doctoral Students' Financial Support Patterns Affect Their Times-to-Degree and Completion Probabilities," NBER Working Papers 4070, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Anne D Boschini & Matthew J Lindquist & Jan Petterson & Jesper Roine, 2004. "Learning to Lose a Leg: Casualties of PhD Economics Training in Stockholm," Econ Journal Watch, Atlas Economic Research Foundation, vol. 1(2), pages 369-379, August. [Downloadable!]
  5. John J. Siegfried & Wendy A. Stock, 2006. "The Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists," Working Papers 0611, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. John J. Siegfried & Wendy A. Stock, 2006. "The Undergraduate Origins of Ph.D. Economists," Working Papers 0611, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
  2. Wendy A. Stock & T. Aldrich Finegan & John J. Siegfried, 2006. "Matriculation in U.S. Economics Ph.D. Programs: How Many Accepted Americans Do Not Enroll?," Working Papers 0609, Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University. [Downloadable!]
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