Journal of Economic Literature
ISSN 0022-0515 (Print) | ISSN 2328-8175 (Online)
Affirmative Action and the Quality-Fit Trade-Off
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 54,
no. 1, March 2016
(pp. 3–51)
Abstract
This paper reviews the literature on affirmative action in undergraduate education and law schools, focusing especially on the trade-off between institutional quality and the fit between a school and a student. We discuss the conditions under which affirmative action for underrepresented minorities (URM) could help or harm their educational outcomes. We provide descriptive evidence on the extent of affirmative action in law schools, as well as a critical review of the contentious literature on how affirmative action affects URM law-school student performance. Our review then discusses affirmative action in undergraduate admissions, focusing on the effects such admissions preferences have on college quality, graduation rates, college major, and earnings. We conclude by examining the evidence on "percent plans" as a replacement for affirmative action. ( JEL I23, I26, I28, J15, J31, J44, K10)Citation
Arcidiacono, Peter, and Michael Lovenheim. 2016. "Affirmative Action and the Quality-Fit Trade-Off." Journal of Economic Literature 54 (1): 3–51. DOI: 10.1257/jel.54.1.3Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- I26 Returns to Education
- I28 Education: Government Policy
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
- J44 Professional Labor Markets; Occupational Licensing
- K10 Basic Areas of Law: General (Constitutional Law)