Does School Quality Improve Student Performance? New Evidence from Ghana

Kehinde F. Ajayi, Boston University

This study examines whether school assignment affects student performance in Ghana. I track a cohort of 160,000 students who applied to 650 secondary schools across the country under a merit-based admission system. Using a selection on observables approach and regression discontinuity design, I find that students admitted to more selective schools are more likely to stay in the same school and to complete on time, but demonstrate only marginal improvements in overall completion rates and exam performance. I also find substantial heterogeneity in effects, suggesting that both school quality and match quality determine student outcomes in this context.