Abstract:
Curiosity motivates learning yet has rarely been studied in economics. Using random assignment to classrooms in the first year of middle school, we document persistent and long-term effects of peer curiosity that extend into early adulthood. A 10- percentage-point increase in the share of highly curious peers raises higher education enrollment by 4.7 percentage points after seven years, against a baseline rate of 68 percent, with gains concentrated in four-year bachelor's programs. Exploratory analyses point to higher aspirations, better time management, and greater parental investment as plausible mechanisms. These results suggest that curiosity generates lasting social returns.
