ASU researcher looks at economics behind college choices


A recent study by an ASU researcher publicized in the Chronicle of Higher Education looks into the factors that may cause a student to attend a college that’s a mismatch for them, whether they’re over- or under-qualified for it. 

Eleanor Dillon, an assistant professor in the department of economics at the W. P. Carey School of Business, worked alongside Jeffrey Smith, professor of economics at the University of Michigan, to discover that these “mismatches are driven more by the decisions of students and families than of admissions offices.”

Casey McDermott, writing for the Chronicle, explains: “researchers found substantial undermatch and overmatch, or students at colleges below or above their ability level, respectively. About 28 percent of students in the sample who started at a four-year college probably could have gone to a better institution, and 25 percent of students might have been in over their heads.”

Dillon and Smith chalk it up to a number of factors, including financial constraints, geography, information and parental education.

According to the Chronicle piece, “the consequences of mismatch need more attention" and "examining the effects of undermatching and overmatching on students' graduation rates and future employment" is Dillon’s next task.

Article source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

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