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The Causal Impact of Dean's List Recognition on Academic Performance: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design

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  • Luc

    (Zhilu)

  • Chen

Abstract

This study examines the causal impact of being placed on the Dean's List, a positive education incentive, on future student performance using a regression discontinuity design. The results suggest that for students with low prior academic performance and who are native English speakers, there is a positive impact of being on the Dean's List on the probability of getting onto the Dean's List in the following year. However, being on the Dean's List does not appear to have a statistically significant effect on subsequent GPA, total credits taken, dropout rates, or the probability of graduating within four years. These findings suggest that a place on the Dean's List may not be a strong motivator for students to improve their academic performance and achieve better outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Luc & Chen, 2025. "The Causal Impact of Dean's List Recognition on Academic Performance: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design," Papers 2501.09763, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2501.09763
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    3. Philip Oreopoulos & Daniel Lang & Joshua Angrist, 2009. "Incentives and Services for College Achievement: Evidence from a Randomized Trial," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 136-163, January.
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    5. Philip Oreopoulos & Uros Petronijevic, 2013. "Making College Worth It: A Review of Research on the Returns to Higher Education," NBER Working Papers 19053, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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