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Spatial Competition And The Price Of College

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  • DANIEL P. McMILLEN
  • LARRY D. SINGELL
  • GLEN R. WADDELL

Abstract

This article provides the first evidence that universities compete directly on price, and that the market for students depends on the proximity of competitors. Exploiting detailed data from private U.S. universities, price competition is tested by introducing geographic proximity into a spatial‐autoregressive tuition model. Standard spatial models show that list and net tuition are inversely related to distance between institutions, consistent with price competition in higher education. An extension to the spatial‐econometrics literature relaxes a constraint that estimated spatial relationships are common across all observations, implying that spatial effects differ across qualitative classes of institutions. (JEL C21, I2, L11)

Suggested Citation

  • DANIEL P. McMILLEN & LARRY D. SINGELL & GLEN R. WADDELL, 2007. "Spatial Competition And The Price Of College," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 45(4), pages 817-833, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:45:y:2007:i:4:p:817-833
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-7295.2007.00049.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Shinichiro Iwata & Kazuto Sumita & Mieko Fujisawa, 2019. "Price competition in the spatial real estate market: allies or rivals?," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 174-195, April.
    2. Shaoling Chen & Susheng Wang & Haisheng Yang, 2015. "Spatial Competition and Interdependence in Strategic Decisions: Empirical Evidence from Franchising," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 91(2), pages 165-204, April.
    3. Diogo Lourenço & Carla Sá, 2019. "Spatial competition for students: What does (not) matter?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 63(1), pages 147-162, August.
    4. Leonardo C. B. Cardoso & Carlos Frederico A. Uchôa & Williams Huamani & David R. Just & Raúl V. Gomez, 2022. "Price effects of spatial competition in retail fuel markets: the impact of a new rival nearby," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(1), pages 81-105, February.
    5. Firgo, Matthias & Kügler, Agnes, 2014. "Detecting Collusion in Spatially Differentiated Markets," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 188, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    6. Gonzalez Canche, Manuel Sacramento, 2014. "Localized competition in the non-resident student market," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 21-35.
    7. López-Hernández, Fernando A., 2013. "Second-order polynomial spatial error model. Global and local spatial dependence in unemployment in Andalusia," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 270-279.
    8. Hajime Seya & Kay W. Axhausen & Makoto Chikaraishi, 2020. "Spatial unconditional quantile regression: application to Japanese parking price data," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 65(2), pages 351-402, October.
    9. Elliott, Caroline & Soo, Kwok Tong, 2013. "The international market for MBA qualifications: The relationship between tuition fees and applications," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 162-174.
    10. Heather Antecol & Janet Kiholm Smith, 2012. "The Early Decision Option in College Admission and Its Impact on Student Diversity," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55(1), pages 217-249.
    11. Gu Jiafeng & Shen Tiyan & Zhang Jiadong, 2015. "Can Financial Shortages in China’s Education Be Contagious?," Journal of Systems Science and Information, De Gruyter, vol. 3(3), pages 193-213, June.
    12. Dae Jin Kim & In Kwon Park, 2017. "The local distribution of endowments matters: Modelling tax competition with heterogeneous local residents," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(14), pages 3239-3259, November.
    13. Firgo, Matthias & Kügler, Agnes, 2018. "Cooperative pricing in spatially differentiated markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 51-67.
    14. Caroline Elliott & Kwok Tong Soo, 2012. "The International Market for MBA Qualifications," Working Papers 24284581, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    15. Cory Koedel, 2009. "Postsecondary Education Structure," Working Papers 0906, Department of Economics, University of Missouri, revised 04 Oct 2010.
    16. Elhorst, J. Paul & Lacombe, Donald J. & Piras, Gianfranco, 2012. "On model specification and parameter space definitions in higher order spatial econometric models," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 211-220.
    17. Li, Kunpeng, 2017. "Fixed-effects dynamic spatial panel data models and impulse response analysis," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 198(1), pages 102-121.
    18. Manuel S. González Canché, 2017. "The Heterogeneous Non-resident Student Body: Measuring the Effect of Out-Of-State Students’ Home-State Wealth on Tuition and Fee Price Variations," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 58(2), pages 141-183, March.
    19. Winters, John V., 2012. "Cohort crowding and nonresident college enrollment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 30-40.
    20. Gu Jiafeng, 2014. "Spatial Dynamics, Vocational Education and Chinese Economic Growth," Journal of Systems Science and Information, De Gruyter, vol. 2(5), pages 385-400, October.
    21. Henrickson, Kevin E. & Langrill, Ryan, 2013. "Spatial Econometrics In Nonspatial Settings," Review of Applied Economics, Lincoln University, Department of Financial and Business Systems, vol. 9(1-2), January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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