The impact of grade inflation on higher education enrolment and earnings
Nordin, Martin LU ; Heckley, Gawain LU
and Gerdtham, Ulf
LU
(2019)
In Economics of Education Review
73.
- Abstract
This study examines the consequences of grade inflation at the upper secondary education level on enrolment in higher education and earnings for Sweden. Although grade inflation is unfair and may imply inefficient allocation of human resources, current knowledge of grade inflation effects on individual outcomes is scarce. One explanation is probably the challenge of measuring and estimating causal grade inflation effects. We find that grade inflation at the school level affects earnings mainly through choice of university and the chosen field of education, rather than through enrolment per se, because attending universities of higher quality and pursuing high-paying fields of education have a substantial impact on earnings. On the other... (More)
This study examines the consequences of grade inflation at the upper secondary education level on enrolment in higher education and earnings for Sweden. Although grade inflation is unfair and may imply inefficient allocation of human resources, current knowledge of grade inflation effects on individual outcomes is scarce. One explanation is probably the challenge of measuring and estimating causal grade inflation effects. We find that grade inflation at the school level affects earnings mainly through choice of university and the chosen field of education, rather than through enrolment per se, because attending universities of higher quality and pursuing high-paying fields of education have a substantial impact on earnings. On the other hand, high-skilled students attending upper secondary schools without grade inflation and, unexpectedly, low-skilled women attending “lenient” schools are harmed by this. This causes extensive unfairness and, plausibly, detrimental welfare effects.
(Less)
- author
- Nordin, Martin
LU
; Heckley, Gawain
LU
and Gerdtham, Ulf
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019-12-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Earnings, Grade inflation, Higher education, Upper-secondary education, I2, I21, J24
- in
- Economics of Education Review
- volume
- 73
- article number
- 101936
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85074836297
- ISSN
- 0272-7757
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.101936
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d9be9d3b-327a-4610-9e95-9b95a25907cd
- date added to LUP
- 2019-11-20 12:41:46
- date last changed
- 2024-01-16 16:46:25
@article{d9be9d3b-327a-4610-9e95-9b95a25907cd,
abstract = {{<p>This study examines the consequences of grade inflation at the upper secondary education level on enrolment in higher education and earnings for Sweden. Although grade inflation is unfair and may imply inefficient allocation of human resources, current knowledge of grade inflation effects on individual outcomes is scarce. One explanation is probably the challenge of measuring and estimating causal grade inflation effects. We find that grade inflation at the school level affects earnings mainly through choice of university and the chosen field of education, rather than through enrolment per se, because attending universities of higher quality and pursuing high-paying fields of education have a substantial impact on earnings. On the other hand, high-skilled students attending upper secondary schools without grade inflation and, unexpectedly, low-skilled women attending “lenient” schools are harmed by this. This causes extensive unfairness and, plausibly, detrimental welfare effects.</p>}},
author = {{Nordin, Martin and Heckley, Gawain and Gerdtham, Ulf}},
issn = {{0272-7757}},
keywords = {{Earnings; Grade inflation; Higher education; Upper-secondary education; I2; I21; J24}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{12}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Economics of Education Review}},
title = {{The impact of grade inflation on higher education enrolment and earnings}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.101936}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.101936}},
volume = {{73}},
year = {{2019}},
}