Grades, Coursework, and Student Characteristics in High School Economics

Abstract

The authors use U.S. public and private high school transcripts to analyze grade distribution patterns in economics courses across student and school characteristics, and compare these grades to those earned in other selected high school courses. Results are reported for the 53 percent of 2009 high school graduates who took a basic economics course and the additional 5 percent who took a college-level course in high school. Basic economics grades were relatively high but within range compared to grades earned in other social studies courses, and higher than the grades in mathematics and science courses. College-level economics grades were lower on average than those earned in college-level social studies courses, comparable to grades in college-level mathematics courses, and lower than grades in college-level science courses.