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Study Abroad Programmes and Students' Academic Performance: Evidence from Erasmus Applications

Author

Listed:
  • Granato, Silvia

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)

  • Havari, Enkelejda

    (IÉSEG School of Management)

  • Mazzarella, Gianluca

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)

  • Schnepf, Sylke V.

    (European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre)

Abstract

Erasmus+ is one of the most popular programmes financed by the European Union. It provides international mobility grants to university students while staying enrolled at their home university. This paper brings novel evidence on the effect of participating in the programme on students' academic outcomes, using rich administrative data from one of the largest public universities in Italy. We rely on a fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design, since the selection of applicants to Erasmus mobility programmes depends on a continuous score assigned during the application process. Our results show that Erasmus mobility does not delay graduation at the home university and, in addition, it has a positive and significant impact on undergraduates' final degree mark. Investigating possible heterogeneous effects, we find that Erasmus mobility improves graduation results for undergraduate students in scientific and technical fields (STEM) and for those who apply for the Erasmus grant in the first year of their studies. Finally, the positive impact on performance at graduation appears to be stronger for students who visit foreign universities of relatively lower quality compared with their home university and for those who stay abroad for more than six months.

Suggested Citation

  • Granato, Silvia & Havari, Enkelejda & Mazzarella, Gianluca & Schnepf, Sylke V., 2021. "Study Abroad Programmes and Students' Academic Performance: Evidence from Erasmus Applications," IZA Discussion Papers 14651, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14651
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Carmen Aina & Francesco Pastore, 2020. "Delayed Graduation and Overeducation in Italy: A Test of the Human Capital Model Versus the Screening Hypothesis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(2), pages 533-553, November.
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    7. Sorrenti, Giuseppe, 2017. "The Spanish or the German apartment? Study abroad and the acquisition of permanent skills," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 142-158.
    8. Castagnetti, Carolina & Rosti, Luisa, 2009. "Effort allocation in tournaments: The effect of gender on academic performance in Italian universities," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 357-369, June.
    9. Hessel Oosterbeek & Dinand Webbink, 2011. "Does Studying Abroad Induce a Brain Drain?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 78(310), pages 347-366, April.
    10. Margherita Fort & Andrea Ichino & Giulio Zanella, 2020. "Cognitive and Noncognitive Costs of Day Care at Age 0–2 for Children in Advantaged Families," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(1), pages 158-205.
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    Cited by:

    1. Giuseppe Croce & Emanuela Ghignoni, 2024. "The Multifaceted Impact of Erasmus Programme on the School-to-Work Transition: A Matching Sensitivity Analysis," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(4), pages 732-754, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    administrative data; university; international student mobility; Erasmus+ programme; Regression Discontinuity Design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • D04 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Policy: Formulation; Implementation; Evaluation

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