Gifted Children Programs’ Short and Long-Term Impact: Higher Education, Earnings, and the Knowledge Economy
This paper examines the short-run and longer-term effects of studying in gifted classes in high schools. Our results show that GCPs have tiny effects on high school academic achievement but substantially influence university outcomes. This influence is manifested in the choice of field of study, a higher incidence of double majors, and an increased likelihood of pursuing advanced degrees. Interestingly, participation in gifted classes does not affect earnings or employment in knowledge-based sectors, implying that gifted children do well in the labor market regardless of their participation in a special class. Finally, participation in gifted classes does not affect the likelihood of marriage or having children. Still, it positively affects the spouse’s “quality” driven by marriages between gifted students and their classmates. We discuss potential mechanisms by relating our findings to the literature in psychology about gifted children.
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