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Faculty members

Bettinger, Eric

Eric Bettinger
Eric Bettinger
Academic Title 
Associate Professor
Other Titles 

Associate Professor of Economics (by courtesy), Stanford Graduate School of Business

Contact Information
(650) 736-7727
ebettinger@stanford.edu
CE 522
https://sites.google.com/site/ericbettinger/
Admin. Support 
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Program Affiliations 
SHIPS (PhD): Economics of Education
SHIPS (PhD): Educational Policy
SHIPS (PhD): Higher Education
SHIPS (PhD): International Comparative Education
(MA) ICE/IEPA
(MA) POLS
(MA) MA/MBA

  Research Interests

Access and Equity
Applied Econometrics
Design Experiments
Economics of Education
Educational Policy
Higher Education

  Current Research

  • Bettinger, Eric and Bridget Long. “Simplification and Incentives: A Randomized Experiment to Increase College Savings"
  • Antonio, Anthony, Eric Bettinger, Brent Evans, Jesse Foster, and Rie Kijima. “The Effect of High School College Advisement:  Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Texas.”
  • Bettinger, Eric, Michael Kremer, Maurice Kugler, and Juan Saavedra. “The Effect of Educational Vouchers in Colombia on Students’ Labor Market Outcomes.”
  • Bettinger, Eric, Oded Gurantz, Laura Kawano, and Bruce Sacerdote. "The Long-run Impacts of Merit Aid: Evidence from California's Cal-Grant."
  • Bettinger, Eric, Lindsay Fox, Susanna Loeb, and Eric Taylor, “Changing Distributions: How Online College Classes Alter Student and Professor Performance.” 

  Research Summary

Eric Bettinger is an associate professor in the Stanford University School of Education. He is also a research associate in the program on education at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Co-Principal Investigator at the Lemann Center for Brazilian Education at Stanford.  His research interests include economics of education; student success and completion in college; teacher characteristics and student success in college; effects of voucher programs on both academic and non-academic outcomes. Eric’s research focuses on using rigorous statistical methods in identifying cause-and-effect relationships in higher education. His research on simplifying financial aid applications has influenced recent efforts by the White House to simplify financial aid processes.  He has served as a consultant to the White House and various state governments on financial aid policies.

  Education

  • Ph.D. Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000
  • B.A. Economics, Brigham Young University, 1996. Magna cum Laude, Honors

  Time at Stanford

Since September 2008:  Associate Professor of Education and Economics

  Professional Experience

Associate Professor of Education. Stanford University School of Education.  (Sep 08 to present)

Affiliate, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (Jan 15 – present)

Research Associate.  National Bureau of Economic Research.  (Sep 11– present)

Faculty Research Fellow.  National Bureau of Economic Research.   (Mar 03– Aug  11)

Associate Professor of Economics. Case Western Reserve.  (Jul 06 to Aug 08 )

Assistant Professor of Economics.  Case Western Reserve   (Jul 00 to Jun 06)

Visiting Fellow. American Academy of Arts and Science.  (Sep–Dec 2002)

Other Current Affiliations include Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis, Lemann Center for Entrepreneurship and Educational Innovation in Brazil, Stanford Center for International Development, Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment at Teacher’s College, Center for the Analysis for Postsecondary Readiness at Teacher’s College, CESifo

  Courses Taught

  • Economics of Higher Education (Educ 347)
  • Regression Analysis (Educ 250B)
  • Designing Randomized Experiments (Educ 255A)

  Recent Publications

Bettinger, Eric (2015) " Need-Based Aid and College Persistence: The Effects of the Ohio College Opportunity Grant.”  Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

Bettinger, Eric, Mari Rege, and Torbjorn Haegland, (2014) "Home with Mom: The Effects of Stay at Home Parents on Children's Long-run Outcomes." Journal of Labor Economics 32:3.  

Bettinger, Eric and Rachel Baker. (2014) "The Effects of Student Coaching: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Advising." Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 36:1 pp 3-19.

Bettinger, Eric, Brent Evans, and Devin Pope (2013). "Improving College Performance and Retention the Easy Way: Unpacking the ACT Exam," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 5(2), 26-52.

Bettinger, Eric, Bridget Long, Phil Oreopoulos and Lisa Sanbonmatsu, (2012) "The Role of Simplification and Information: Evidence from the FAFSA Experiment.”  Quarterly Journal of Economics 127 (3), 1205-1242.

  Current Activities

Aspen-Stanford Collaboration on Community College Leadership.  Faculty Director (2015 to present).