Long-Term Outcomes of College-Prep Programs

A program in Texas in 2010 provided payments to inner-city 11th and 12th grade students and their teachers for achieving passing scores on Advanced Placement exams. This study finds that the students involved were more likely to attend college, to remain beyond their first year, and to earn a college degree. They also were likelier to be employed and to earn higher wages than students not in the program. This evidence suggests that implementing college-prep programs in existing urban schools can improve the long-run prospects for disadvantaged students.