Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Title: Achievement Rank Affects Performance and Major Choices in College
Author-Name: Benjamin Elsner
Author-Email: 
Author-Name: Ingo E. Isphording
Author-Email: 
Author-Name: Ulf Zölitz
Author-Email: ulf.zoelitz@econ.uzh.ch

Classification-JEL: I21, J16, J31
Keywords: rank, social comparisons, higher education, peer effects

Abstract: This paper studies how a student’s ordinal rank in a peer group affects performance and specialisation choices in university. By exploiting data with repeated random assignment of students to teaching sections, we find that a higher rank increases performance and the probability of choosing related follow-up courses and majors. We document two types of dynamic effects. First, earlier ranks are less important than later ranks. Second, responses to rank changes are asymmetric: improvements in rank raise performance, while decreases in rank have no effect. Rank effects partially operate through students’ expectations about future grades.

Note: 
Length: 55
Creation-Date: 2021-04
Revision-Date: 
File-URL: https://www.crctr224.de/research/discussion-papers/archive/dp294
File-Format: application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:CRCTR224_2021_294