The Impact of Private Schools on Educational Attainment in the State of São Paulo: How Important Is Tuition?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Topics in Private Education

Abstract

This study uses a comprehensive dataset on secondary school students in Brazil to answer two research questions: 1) What is the impact of (low-fee) private school enrolment on educational attainment in Brazil? 2) Do these results help to explain the country’s demand for private education despite increased government support for public education? I find that private school students (across all levels of tuition) perform better than their public school counterparts on Brazil's high school exit exam, even after accounting for sample selection bias via a variety of propensity score matching models. Ultimately, I conclude that the significant achievement gains provided by low-fee and high-fee private secondary schools in Brazil strengthen the demand for private schooling despite increases in public spending.

Author

• Jonathan M.B. Stern, Vanderbilt University