Urban public school systems in the United States frequently offer a wide range of curricular options. For example, New York City students can choose to attend high schools focused on topics as varied as legal studies, journalism, and performing arts, among others. I use New York City high school application data to investigate the implications of diverse curricular offerings for segregation and student outcomes. I estimate a structural model using data on student application and enrollment decisions to determine how much weight families place on curricular themes relative to other school characteristics. I find that relative to baseline enrollment, a simulated counterfactual that equalizes preferences across themes reduces segregation by achievement, with smaller changes in segregation by race and income. Finally, I exploit random and quasi-random variation in the school assignment process to explore how assignment to a school that aligns with one’s academic interest affects high school outcomes.

This talk is presented by the Labor Economics Seminar, sponsored in part by the Department of Economics with generous gifts given through the Abraham and Thelma Zwerdling Labor Economics Program.