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The impact of Israel's class-based affirmative action policy on admission and academic outcomes

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  • Alon, Sigal
  • Malamud, Ofer

Abstract

In the early to mid-2000s, four flagship Israeli selective universities introduced a voluntary need-blind and color-blind affirmative action policy for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program allowed departments to offer admission to academically borderline applicants who were above a certain threshold of disadvantage. We examine the effect of eligibility for affirmative action on admission and enrollment outcomes as well as on academic achievement using a regression discontinuity (RD) design. We show that students who were just barely eligible for this voluntary policy had a significantly higher probability of admission and enrollment, as compared to otherwise similar students. The affirmative action program also led to higher rates of admission to the most selective majors. Moreover, after enrollment, AA-eligible students are not falling behind academically, even at the most selective majors. Our results suggest the potential for a long-lasting impact of class-based preferences in admission on social and economic mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Alon, Sigal & Malamud, Ofer, 2014. "The impact of Israel's class-based affirmative action policy on admission and academic outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 123-139.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:40:y:2014:i:c:p:123-139
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.02.004
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    3. Oliveira, Rodrigo & Santos, Alei & Severnini, Edson R., 2023. "Bridging the Gap: Mismatch Effects and Catch-up Dynamics in a Brazilian College Affirmative Action," IZA Discussion Papers 16239, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    5. Vieira, Renato Schwambach & Arends-Kuenning, Mary, 2019. "Affirmative action in Brazilian universities: Effects on the enrollment of targeted groups," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Motte Henrique & Oliveira Rodrigo, 2020. "The effect of class assignment on academic performance and the labour market: Evidence from a public federal university in Brazil," WIDER Working Paper Series wp2020-8, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Francis-Tan, Andrew & Tannuri-Pianto, Maria, 2018. "Black Movement: Using discontinuities in admissions to study the effects of college quality and affirmative action," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 97-116.
    8. Basant, Rakesh & Sen, Gitanjali, 2016. "Impact of Affirmative Action in Higher Education for the Other Backward Classes in India," IIMA Working Papers WP2016-07-01, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    9. Mello, Ursula, 2023. "Affirmative action and the choice of schools," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    10. Bleemer, Zachary, 2023. "Affirmative action and its race-neutral alternatives," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    11. Karlsson, Linn & Wikström, Magnus, 2021. "Admission groups and academic performance: A study of marginal entrants in the selection to higher education," Umeå Economic Studies 1000, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    12. de Silva, Tiloka & Gothama, Supun & Premakumara, Priyantha, 2021. "Admissions quotas in university education: Targeting and mismatch under Sri Lanka’s affirmative action policy," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
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    15. Oliveira, Rodrigo & Santos, Alei & Severnini, Edson, 2024. "Bridging the gap: Mismatch effects and catch-up dynamics under a Brazilian college affirmative action program," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Affirmative action; Regression discontinuity; Israel;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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