Agent-Based Simulation Models of the College Sorting Process

Authored by Sean Reardon, Matt Kasman, Daniel Klasik, Rachel Baker

Date Published: 2016

DOI: 10.18564/jasss.2993

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Stata

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: https://www.comses.net/codebases/4220/releases/1.0.0/

Abstract

We explore how dynamic processes related to socioeconomic inequality operate to sort students into, and create stratification among, colleges. We use an agent-based model to simulate a stylized version of this sorting processes in order to explore how factors related to family resources might influence college application choices and college enrollment. We include two types of ``agents{''}-students and colleges-to simulate a two-way matching process that iterates through three stages: application, admission, and enrollment. Within this model, we examine how five mechanisms linking students' socioeconomic background to college sorting might influence socioeconomic stratification between colleges including relationships between student resources and: achievement; the quality of information used in the college selection process; the number of applications students submit; how students value college quality; and the students' ability to enhance their apparent caliber. We find that the resources-achievement relationship explains much of the student sorting by resources but that other factors also have non-trivial influences.

Tags

Inequality preferences Quality Choice Perceptions Higher-education Access Sat