@TechReport{iza:izadps:dp18568, author={Miller, Lois}, title={Switching Schools: Effects of College Transfers}, year={2026}, month={Apr}, institution={Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)}, address={Bonn}, type={IZA Discussion Paper}, number={18568}, url={https://www.iza.org/publications/dp18568}, abstract={Using Texas administrative data and a regression discontinuity design, I study how transferring between colleges affects students’ earnings. I leverage applications and admissions data to uncover unpublished GPA cutoffs used for transfer student admissions at each fouryear institution, then use these cutoffs as an instrument for transfer. I do not find positive earnings returns for academically marginal students who transfer from two-year to four-year colleges or from less-resourced four-year colleges to flagship colleges and show suggestive evidence of negative returns. Mechanisms include academic “mismatch” among two-year to four-year transfers, and substitution out of high-paying majors for four-year to flagship transfers.}, keywords={college transfer;returns to education;community college}, }