Academic Achievements: Grades Versus Duration

52 Pages Posted: 1 Apr 2015

See all articles by Agar Brugiavini

Agar Brugiavini

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia

Carlo Carraro

Ca' Foscari University of Venice; CMCC - Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (Climate Policy Division); IPCC; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels; Green Growth Knowledge Platform

Matija Kovacic

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: March 2015

Abstract

This paper investigates the determinants of academic achievements of post-reform undergraduate students of Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Academic achievements are measured with the students' grade point averages and time to graduation. The set of independent variables contains information on students' personal characteristics, prior academic achievements, family background, academic track at university, and several "peer-group" effects. The novelty of this paper is threefold: i) we use a rich data set obtained by matching the University's administrative data records with the data drawn from the AlmaLaurea questionnaires, ii) we pay particular attention to the effects of academic track regularity on students' performance, and iii) we propose a theoretical model of a trade-o between grades and time to graduation, and test empirically its validity by taking into account the problem of reciprocal causation between grades and time to graduation. The model suggests that grades and time to graduation are inversely related. While there is an unambiguous effect of students' ability and financial condition on grades, these effects are less straightforward in the case of time to graduation. The sign and the magnitude of the effects of ability and financial condition on time to graduation depends on students' academic track regularity. Moreover, the relative importance of grades and time to graduation depends, in addition to ability and financial situation, also on the external economic conditions in the labor market. Our empirical exercise confirms the predictions of the model.

Keywords: academic achievements, academic track regularity, trade-off between grades and time to degree

JEL Classification: D91, I21, I23

Suggested Citation

Brugiavini, Agar and Carraro, Carlo and Kovacic, Matija, Academic Achievements: Grades Versus Duration (March 2015). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP10516, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2588419

Agar Brugiavini (Contact Author)

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia ( email )

Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy

Carlo Carraro

Ca' Foscari University of Venice ( email )

Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy
+39 04 1234 9166 (Phone)
+39 04 1234 9176 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.carlocarraro.org/

CMCC - Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (Climate Policy Division) ( email )

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Lecce, 73100
Italy
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+39 0832 277603 (Fax)

IPCC ( email )

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+41-22-730-8025/13 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

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Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels

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Belgium
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+32 2 219 4151 (Fax)

Green Growth Knowledge Platform ( email )

International Environment House
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Geneva, 1219
Switzerland

HOME PAGE: http://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/

Matija Kovacic

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia ( email )

Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy

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