Growth mindset : a predictor of higher education attainment

A growth mindset-a belief that intelligence is malleable rather than a fixed trait-is a crucial factor for educational success. I investigate whether a growth mindset also plays a role in students' post-graduation life outcomes, specifically, in the pursuit of higher education in a nationwide sample of 35,329 Ecuadorian baccalaureate students. I find that a growth mindset is positively related to the students' graduation scores (β = 0.01, p = 0.02, d = 0.09 SD difference between students with a growth and a fixed mindset), participation in the university aptitude test (β = 0.01, p = 0.002, d = 0.28 SD), scores on the university aptitude test (β = 7.25, p < 0.000, d = 0.43 SD), and successful university admissions (β = 0.01, p < 0.000, d = 0.26 SD). The differences between students with a growth mindset and those with a fixed mindset are substantial; for example, the difference in scores on the university aptitude test exceeds the difference between students whose mothers received and didn't receive higher education. I do not find evidence that a growth mindset is more beneficial for high-income students; I find limited evidence to the contrary. Students with a growth mindset from the lowest wealth quantile have higher university acceptance rates than students with a fixed mindset from the highest wealth quantile.