The Impact of Immigrant Classmates on Educational Outcomes

Forthcoming in Social Forces

48 Pages Posted: 13 Jun 2014 Last revised: 28 Apr 2015

See all articles by Are Hermansen

Are Hermansen

University of Oslo - Department of Sociology and Human Geography

Gunn Birkelund

University of Oslo - Department of Sociology and Human Geography

Date Written: April 28, 2015

Abstract

Despite a growing empirical literature on the relationship between immigrant concentration in schools and student achievement, few studies address longer-run outcomes. Using Norwegian registry data, this study addresses the causal impact of immigrant classmates on educational attainment in young adulthood, as well as academic track enrollment and educational achievement in school, within six entire student cohorts in their final 10th grade of compulsory education (310,742 students, 751 schools). Controlling for school fixed effects, native peer characteristics and observed characteristics of students and their families, we find that students in cohorts with more immigrant peers within the same school have slightly higher propensities to complete upper secondary education by their early twenties. The effects are about three times stronger among students from immigrant families compared to students with native-born parents, and are also robust to adjustment for average grade achievement. Moreover, these peer effects seem to primarily reflect the presence of immigrant classmates from high-achieving origin regions, while we do not find corresponding negative effects of exposure to immigrant classmates from low-achieving origin regions. In conclusion, these results indicate a modest positive influence of exposure to immigrant classmates on, primarily, immigrant students’ educational attainment several years later.

Keywords: peer effects, immigration, education

Suggested Citation

Hermansen, Are and Birkelund, Gunn, The Impact of Immigrant Classmates on Educational Outcomes (April 28, 2015). Forthcoming in Social Forces, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2448560 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2448560

Are Hermansen (Contact Author)

University of Oslo - Department of Sociology and Human Geography ( email )

Moltke Moes vei 31
Oslo, N-0851
Norway

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/site/areskeiehermansen/

Gunn Birkelund

University of Oslo - Department of Sociology and Human Geography ( email )

Moltke Moesvei 31
Oslo, 0851
Norway

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