July 2003

IZA DP No. 828: School Choice and Quality

published as "The Impact of Perceived Public-School Quality on Private-School Choice in Italy" in: L. Woessmann and P. Petersen (eds.), Schools and the Equal Opportunity Problem, MIT 2007, 293-310

The 1993 Survey of Household Income and Wealth, a representative survey of the Italian population covering 24,000 individuals, reports detailed information on children attendance of public and private schools and parents’ self-assessment of the quality of public schools in the city of residence. The survey also provides detailed information on the household demographic structure, income and parents’ education. The empirical analysis indicates that the quality of schools is one of the driving factors in the choice between private and public schools. The results are robust with respect to the particular quality indicator used and the presence of provincial fixed effects.