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What Matters for the Decision to Study Abroad? A Lab-in-the-Field Experiment in Cape Verde

Author

Listed:
  • Catia Batista

    (Nova School of Business and Economics)

  • David Costa

    (Nova School of Business and Economics)

  • Pedro Freitas

    (Nova School of Business and Economics)

  • Goncalo Lima

    (European University Institute)

  • Ana Reis

    (Nova School of Business and Economics)

Abstract

Study abroad migration is the fastest growing international migration flow. However, the college completion rates of students from low-income countries are often modest in OECD countries, raising the hypothesis that these migrants are poorly informed about the costs and benefits of their decision. Our work tests this hypothesis by running a lab-in-the-field experiment where graduating high school students in Cape Verde are faced with incentivized decisions to apply for college studies abroad. Our results show that potential migrants react strongly to information about the availability of financial support and about college completion rates. Since subjects’ prior beliefs on availability of financial support are overestimated, it is likely that study migrants need to shift their time from study to work after uninformed migration, which likely harms their scholar performance. Policies that inform potential migrants of actual study funding possibilities should decrease study migration flows but are likely to improve successful graduation.

Suggested Citation

  • Catia Batista & David Costa & Pedro Freitas & Goncalo Lima & Ana Reis, 2024. "What Matters for the Decision to Study Abroad? A Lab-in-the-Field Experiment in Cape Verde," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2413, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    • Handle: RePEc:crm:wpaper:2413
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Amarathunga, Buddhini & Samarakoon, S.M.R.K. & Sarathkumara, S.M.N.N., 2025. "Global ambitions, local challenges: The complex dynamics of graduate migration intentions in an emerging economy," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    3. Kensuke Sakamoto & Yuya Shimizu, 2025. "Design-Based and Network Sampling-Based Uncertainties in Network Experiments," Papers 2506.22989, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2025.
    4. Romuald Meango & Marc Henry & Ismael Mourifie, 2025. "Combining stated and revealed preferences," Papers 2507.13552, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2025.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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