The Impact of Commuting Time on Students' Academic Performance: Evidence From Nearby Enrollment Policy in China

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of commuting time on students' academic performance based on the nearby enrollment policy in China. Using a sample of middle school students without school‐choice behavior, we capture relatively exogenous commuting times. The results indicate that an additional 10 min of one‐way commute time leads to a decrease of 0.017 standard deviations in students' scores. A further discussion of mechanisms suggests that more lateness and absenteeism, more unhappiness and lack of concentration are the primary mechanisms. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the negative effect is smaller for active commuters when the commute time is under 26.59 min. Commuters attending suburban schools experience less negative impact compared to those in urban centers or rural areas. No significant differences are observed in the effects based on gender or school start times. Finally, we explore the nonlinear effects of commuting time.