Every Little Bit Counts: The Impact of High-speed Internet on the Transition to College

Dettling, Lisa J.; Goodman, Sarena; Smith, Jonathan

doi:10.17016/FEDS.2015.108

Working Paper

Every Little Bit Counts: The Impact of High-speed Internet on the Transition to College

Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of high-speed Internet on students' college application decisions. We link the diffusion of zip code-level residential broadband Internet to millions of PSAT and SAT takers' college testing and application outcomes and find that students with access to high-speed Internet in their junior year of high school perform better on the SAT and apply to a higher number and more expansive set of colleges. Effects appear to be concentrated among higher-SES students, indicating that while, on average, high-speed Internet improved students' postsecondary outcomes, it may have increased pre-existing inequities by primarily benefiting those with more resources.

Keywords: Broadband; College Choice; Undermatch;

https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2015.108