COVID-19 Prevalence and Empty College Seats
21 Pages Posted: 26 May 2020 Last revised: 29 May 2020
Date Written: May 28, 2020
Abstract
Using the National Association for College Admission Counseling's annual list of colleges that have space for fall undergraduate enrollment with COVID-19 cases and deaths at the county level, this paper provides a first look at how COVID-19 has altered the admissions landscape for four-year schools. I find that a one standard deviation increase in deaths per 100,000 is associated with a 61 percent increase in the probability that a school reports available seats for first-year students, housing, and aid. For a one standard deviation increase in cases per 100,000, schools are 53 percent more likely to report openings. For a one standard deviation increase in the growth rate of deaths and cases, schools are 45 and 56 percent, respectively, more likely to report openings.
Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, college admissions, college enrollment
JEL Classification: I23, I22, I18
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation