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Long-Term Effects of School Size on Students' Outcomes

Author

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  • Humlum, Maria Knoth

    (Aarhus University)

  • Smith, Nina

    (Aarhus University)

Abstract

We estimate the effect of school size on students' long-term outcomes such as high school completion, being out of the labor market, and earnings at the age of 30. We use rich register data on the entire population of Danish children attending grade 9 in the period 1986-2004. This allows us to compare the results of different fixed effect and instrumental variables estimators. We use the natural population variation in the residential catchment areas and school openings and closures to instrument for actual school size. We find a robust positive but numerically fairly small relationship between school size and alternative measures of long-term success in the educational system and the labor market. The positive impact of school size seems mainly to be driven by boys, students from families with a low educational level and students attending schools in urban areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Humlum, Maria Knoth & Smith, Nina, 2014. "Long-Term Effects of School Size on Students' Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 8032, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8032
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    Cited by:

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    2. Beuchert, Louise & Humlum, Maria Knoth & Nielsen, Helena Skyt & Smith, Nina, 2018. "The short-term effects of school consolidation on student achievement: Evidence of disruption?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 31-47.
    3. Hayri Eren Suna & Mahmut Ozer & Sadri Sensoy & Bekir Siddik Gur & Selahattin Gelbal & Petek Aşkar, 2021. "Determinants of Academic Achievement in Turkey," Journal of Economy Culture and Society, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 64(64), pages 143-162, December.
    4. K. Kounetas & G. Androulakis & M. Kaisari & G. Manousakis, 2023. "Educational reforms and secondary school's efficiency performance in Greece: a bootstrap DEA and multilevel approach," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 1-29, March.
    5. Oskari Harjunen & Tuukka Saarimaa & Janne Tukiainen, 2021. "Love Thy (Elected) Neighbor? Residential Segregation, Political Representation and Local Public Goods," Discussion Papers 138, Aboa Centre for Economics.
    6. Michael Rosholm & Alexander Paul & Dorthe Bleses & Anders Højen & Philip S. Dale & Peter Jensen & Laura M. Justice & Michael Svarer & Simon Calmar Andersen, 2021. "Are Impacts Of Early Interventions In The Scandinavian Welfare State Consistent With A Heckman Curve? A Meta‐Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 106-140, February.
    7. Giambona, Francesca & Porcu, Mariano, 2018. "School size and students' achievement. Empirical evidences from PISA survey data," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 66-77.
    8. Karen Jeong Robinson & Josipa Roksa, 2016. "Counselors, Information, and High School College-Going Culture: Inequalities in the College Application Process," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 57(7), pages 845-868, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    high school graduation; student outcomes; school size;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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