Covid, Colleges, and Classes

Abstract

At the start of the 2020 school year, some colleges chose to reopen in person while others offered primarily online classes. Why? Colleges with higher shares of revenue independent of students being on campus were less likely to reopen in person. Larger shares of revenue attributed to in-person activities, such as dorms and dining halls, led schools to reopen in person. Public and private colleges responded differently to key determinants. Public colleges were influenced by political pressures and the fraction of students from out of state, while private schools responded to the severity of COVID in their local community.

Keywords: COVID, higher education

JEL Classification: I20, I10