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arXiv · 2510.11973

Beyond Test Scores: How Academic Rank Shapes Long-Term Outcomes

Emilia Del Bono·Angus Holford·Tommaso Sartori
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Abstract

We study the effects of academic rank using data on the entire population of children enrolled in primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1962. Exploiting quasi-random variation in peer group composition, we estimate the causal impact of rank on academic performance, noncognitive development, parental investment, and long-term outcomes. Higher rank improves achievement on the high-stakes eleven-plus examination and strengthens internalizing skills (traits related to self-concept and confidence), suggesting that rank effects operate primarily through students' self-perception. Using a follow-up survey conducted forty years later, we find that rank raises educational attainment, particularly for girls, while long-term income gains emerge only among boys. The gender gap in long-run effects likely reflects historical barriers to women's access to higher education and skilled employment during this period.

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Emilia Del Bono, Angus Holford, Tommaso Sartori. 2025-10-13. Beyond Test Scores: How Academic Rank Shapes Long-Term Outcomes. https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.11973

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