The Impact of Professor Reputation and Section Attributes on Student Course Selection

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze how students select particular sections of required undergraduate courses at a regional public university in Texas. Specifically, we study how perceived instructor quality and other course section attributes, such as meeting time, impact enrollment. We find strong evidence that publicly available information about professor reputation influences students’ enrollment decisions. Sections taught by instructors who are more highly rated fill up more quickly, for our subset of required undergraduate courses. Sections taught by instructors rated as easier are also estimated to fill up more rapidly, in some specifications. We also find some evidence that the meeting times and days alsoinfluence enrollment decisions in systematic ways.