Bratti, Massimiliano (2001) Does the choice of university matter? A study of the differences across UK universities in life sciences students' degree performance. Working Paper. Coventry: University of Warwick, Department of Economics. (Warwick economic research papers.

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Abstract

This paper investigates differences across UK universities in 1993 life sciences students’ degree performance using individual-level data from the Universities’ Statistical Record (USR). Differences across universities are analysed by specifying and estimating a subject-specific educational production function. Even after including a wide range of controls for the quality of students, significant differences emerge across universities in students’ degree performance. We apply a two-stage estimation procedure and find evidence that a large part of ‘university effects’ cannot be explained by the kind of institutional inputs commonly used in the literature on school quality. Finally, we compare the unadjusted ranking of universities based on the proportion of ‘good’ (first and upper second class honours) degrees awarded with that based on the estimated probability of a ‘good’ degree obtained from the microeconometric model and find significant differences between the two indicators of universities’ performance.

Item Type:	Working or Discussion Paper (Working Paper)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Universities' Statistical Record (Great Britain) , Life sciences -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Great Britain, Input-output analysis, Education, Higher -- Economic aspects, Value added
Series Name:	Warwick economic research papers
Publisher:	University of Warwick, Department of Economics
Place of Publication:	Coventry
Date:	27 February 2001
Number:	No.584
Number of Pages:	41
Status:	Not Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/1594

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