In this paper we aim to remedy some shortcomings in the economic literature on university student absenteeism and academic performance. We start by introducing a simple theoretical model in which students decide the optimal allocation of their time between lecture attendance, self-study and...

In this paper we investigate the effect of the restructuring of university studies that took place in Italy after the introduction of the «3 2» reform on student time allocation and performance. We use data from an Economics Faculty and propensity score matching, which allow us to account for...

We use survey data on cohorts of high school graduates observed before and after the Italian reform of tertiary education implementing the 'Bologna process' to estimate the impact of the reform on the decision to go to college. We find that individuals leaving high school after the reform have a...

We use unique administrative data from a leading Italian University to estimate whether the use of admission tests and conditional progression schemes are effective strategies to select high-performing students. Previous work has mainly focused on the effect of selectivity policies on widening...

This paper investigates the determinants of grades achieved in mathematics by first year students Economics. We use individual administrative data from 1991 to 2005 to fit an educational production function. Our main findings suggest that good secondary school achievements and good maths skills...

We use unique administrative data from a leading Italian University to estimate whether the use of admission tests and conditional progression schemes are effective strategies to select high-performing students. Previous work has mainly focused on the effect of selectivity policies on widening...