AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
The Leaky College Pipeline: Evidence from Administrative Data in Uganda
AEA Papers and Proceedings
(pp. 206–211)
Abstract
We use linked administrative data from Uganda to track student progression from primary school through university scholarship admission, documenting large leaks in the education pipeline at every stage. Many high-performing students from poorer districts exit before upper secondary school, so the pool eligible for selective public university admission is highly socioeconomically stratified. Merit scholarships are heavily concentrated in a small number of elite secondary schools in the Kampala metropolitan area, implying that financial aid primarily rewards earlier advantages. The results highlight that tertiary merit aid alone cannot equalize access without upstream reforms to broaden basic and secondary education access.Citation
Ahimbisibwe, Isaac, Adrien Dautheville, Lenka Fiala, Saint Kizito Omala, and Wayne Aaron Sandholtz. 2026. "The Leaky College Pipeline: Evidence from Administrative Data in Uganda." AEA Papers and Proceedings 116: 206–211. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20261032Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H52 National Government Expenditures and Education
- I21 Analysis of Education
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- I28 Education: Government Policy
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration