By Christopher D. Blake via The Conversation
In the states that have legalized recreational marijuana in the last decade, colleges in those states saw an increase in applications by top students. However, this was only a short-term phenomenon. Also, they received more applications in general. These were the main findings of a recent study published by our team in the peer reviewed journal Contemporary Economic Policy.
The number of college applications in a state that legalized recreational marijuana grew about 5.5 per cent more than the colleges in other states. The colleges in states that legalized marijuana received an initial boost in application numbers. No further increase was detected after the initial spike. We control our results for school quality, tuition price and labor market conditions which may influence student application decisions.
On a detailed level, the biggest gains were seen by the largest schools. They saw a 54 percent increase in application compared to similar sized schools in states where marijuana was not legal. Public colleges and Universities benefited more than the private ones. However, applications to private schools also increased in states that legalized recreational marijuana.
The number of applications received by schools from students with high academic achievement also increased. The number of applications and the standardized test scores of the top 25% of applicants increased together.
Why it matters
Researchers continue to evaluate the risks and benefits of recreational marijuana. Our results show that higher education institutions benefit when their state allows their citizens to smoke pot. The schools were able to select from a greater pool of applicants with higher academic achievements. It is possible to enhance a school’s academic profile.
Our findings fit in with a larger research body analyzing factors that influence a student’s choice of school. We discovered, that similar to the spikes in applications and SAT score when schools have winning teams, spikes are seen when schools are located in legalized marijuana states. Our data does not prove this, but it suggests that local policies are a factor in students’ college choices. This is a result of great interest to scholars and policymakers.
What we do
We use IPEDS, a federal database that is commonly known as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. It provides data on a wide range of college metrics. These metrics include number of applications and demographic characteristics of students, as well as detailed tuition prices before and after financial assistance is applied.
We also analyzed the state laws to determine when recreational marijuana will be available for students during a specific academic year. We argue that recreational marijuana can affect the application decisions of prospective students for fall terms as long as it is legal before the end January, when many applications are due.
What is still unknown
We cannot determine why young people who have just graduated high school and are not yet of legal age to purchase recreational marijuana (21 years old) might base their decision on the availability of recreational marijuana.
Legal sales could create the perception among prospective applicants that consumption by minors is not as risky. This could simply be because of the widespread media coverage that made certain states appear more popular. It could also be that more liberal public policies, like marijuana laws, suggest more attractive policies and more liberalized practices in other areas, important to students. For example, abortion. It’s difficult to know without speaking to the students.
We don’t also know how many of the increases in applications that occurred after legalization were driven by students from out-of state. Did Colorado’s legalization cause more students to apply to Colorado colleges? In-state students could have chosen to apply to more Colorado schools in order to remain in their state.
IPEDS does not require that schools distinguish between applicants from within and outside of the state. The database does, however, distinguish between in-state and out-of state enrollees. This data shows that the number of out-of state students at the largest schools increased by nearly 25 percent in the year following the legalization of marijuana. But applying and enrolling is two different things. Enrolling in a program is a more serious commitment than applying.
What’s Next
Colleges in states where cannabis consumption is legal without the fear of being arrested could gain valuable insights from a broader analysis of how legalization affected college applications. It would also be interesting to look at how legalized marijuana affects student outcomes across all schools while taking into account the disruptions caused by COVID-19.
Christopher D. Blake, assistant professor of Economics at Emory University.
The Conversation first published this story.
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