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Centralized Admission and the Student-College Match

Author

Listed:
  • Machado, Cecilia

    (Getulio Vargas Foundation, Brazil)

  • Szerman, Christiane

    (University College London)

Abstract

Decentralized assignments in the education market have been increasingly replaced by centralized ones. However, empirical evidence on these transitions are scarce. This paper examines the adoption of centralized admissions in the Brazilian higher education market. Using rich administrative data, we exploit time variation in the adoption of a clearinghouse across institutions to investigate its impact on student sorting, migration and enrollment. We find that institutions under the centralized assignment are able to attract students with substantially higher test scores and that geographical mobility of admitted students increases. While there are no sizable effects on final enrollment rates, search is intensified. Overall, our findings indicate positive impacts of centralization on the college market.

Suggested Citation

  • Machado, Cecilia & Szerman, Christiane, 2016. "Centralized Admission and the Student-College Match," IZA Discussion Papers 10251, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10251
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    2. Aue, Robert & Klein, Thilo & Ortega, Josué, 2020. "What happens when separate and unequal school districts merge?," ZEW Discussion Papers 20-032, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Perihan O. Saygin, 2020. "Gender bias in standardized tests: evidence from a centralized college admissions system," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 1037-1065, August.
    4. Francisco Costa & Letícia Nunes & Fabio Miessi Sanches, 2024. "How to Attract Physicians to Underserved Areas? Policy Recommendations from a Structural Model," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(1), pages 36-52, January.
    5. Thilo Klein & Robert Aue & Josue Ortega, 2020. "School choice with independent versus consolidated districts," Papers 2006.13209, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2024.
    6. Kenjiro Hirata & Shinpei Sano & Katsuya Takii, 2021. "How can a college's admissions policies help produce future business leaders?," OSIPP Discussion Paper 21E003, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    7. Wu, Binzhen & Zhong, Xiaohan, 2020. "Matching inequality and strategic behavior under the Boston mechanism: Evidence from China's college admissions," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 1-21.
    8. Mari TANAKA & Yusuke NARITA & Chiaki MORIGUCHI, 2020. "Meritocracy and Its Discontent: Long-run Effects of Repeated School Admission Reforms," Discussion papers 20002, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    9. Soledad Giardili, 2018. "University Quotas and Peers’ Achievement," Working Papers 854, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    10. Brotherhood, Luiz & Delalibera, Bruno R., 2020. "Minding the gap between schools and universities," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    11. Adam Kapor & Mohit Karnani & Christopher Neilson, 2019. "Negative Externalities of Off Platform Options and the Efficiency of Centralized Assignment Mechanisms," Working Papers 635, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    test scores; college admission; centralized matching; higher education; migration; enrollment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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