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The influence of height on academic outcomes

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  • Gorry, Devon

Abstract

This paper examines whether the height premium for academic outcomes is driven by unequal opportunities for tall individuals. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, this paper shows that taller individuals typically earn higher grades and attain more schooling, but the associations are not uniform across school size. Height is only associated with better outcomes for students attending large schools and these improvements are concentrated among males. Data suggest that height contributes more to sports participation and school satisfaction in large schools where resources are more scarce. Thus, differential opportunities or treatment across height in large schools may drive the performance differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Gorry, Devon, 2017. "The influence of height on academic outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-8.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:56:y:2017:i:c:p:1-8
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.11.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:pri:rpdevs:case_paxson_cog_function_additional.pdf is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Amin, Vikesh & Fletcher, Jason M., 2022. "What is driving the relationship between height and cognition? Evidence from the Twins Early Development Study," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    2. Ogórek, Bartosz, 2019. "Talented but lazy. The height-school premium among Cracow’s schoolboys in the interwar period," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 252-256.
    3. Stephanie Coffey & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2021. "Towering Intellects? Sizing Up the Relationship Between Height and Academic Success," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 244, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    4. Richard W. DiSalvo & Jing Che, 2022. "Causal inference on the engagement effects of athletic participation from within‐student variation," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(4), pages 1911-1928, October.
    5. Martin B. Schmidt, 2021. "On the evolution of athlete anthropometric measurements: racial integration, expansion, and steroids," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(6), pages 3419-3443, December.

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    Keywords

    Height; Education; School Size;
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