Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/260261 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 2018:32
Publisher: 
Lund University, School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Lund
Abstract: 
This paper studies the persistent effects of short-term peer exposure in a college setting. I exploit the random assignment of undergraduates to peer groups during a mandatory orientation week and follow the students until graduation. High levels of peer ability in a group harm the students' test scores and lead to increases in the probability of early dropout; this result is driven by the adverse effect of high-ability peers on low-ability students. I find suggestive evidence for discouragement effects: Peer ability is negatively correlated with the students' confidence in their academic ability after the first week.
Subjects: 
peer effect
higher education
natural experiment
ability
educational attainment
dropout
major choice
JEL: 
I21
I23
J24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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