What Is the Impact of New Hampshire's SAT Policy on Four-Year College Enrollment Rates?

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Applied Research on Educational Policy in Schools

Abstract

This analysis investigates the impact of New Hampshire’s 11th grade mandatory statewide SAT on four-year college enrollment rates. In this natural experiment, we use a discontinuity design to estimate how the SAT policy might affect the within-school change trajectory of four-year college enrollment. Findings show that the SAT requirement had no effect on four-year college enrollment rates in the state. Consistent across public schools of lower socio-economic status and those located in rural communities, these findings call into question the purported benefits of adopting the exam for college-bound students.

Authors

• Sheri K. Dion, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

• Suzanne E. Graham, University of New Hampshire