Student Future Academic Performance after Being Placed on Dean’s List

Abstract

This study examines the causal impact of being placed on the Dean\u27s List, a positive education incentive, on future student performance using a regression discontinuity design. The results suggest that for students with low prior academic performance and who are native English speakers, there is a positive impact of being on the Dean\u27s List on the probability of getting onto the Dean\u27s List in the following year. However, being on the Dean\u27s List does not appear to have a statistically significant effect on subsequent GPA, total credits taken, dropout rates, or the probability of graduating within four years. These findings suggest that a place on the Dean\u27s List may not be a strong motivator for students to improve their academic performance and achieve better outcomes