Free school choice and segregation: evidence from admission policies in Norway

This study investigates the relationship between admission policies to upper secondary education and various forms of school segregation in Norway. Using a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach, we analyze whether the transition from proximity-based school admissions to performance-based admissions (free school choice) has led to increased segregation based on ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and academic performance. The study focuses on the counties encompassing Oslo and Bergen as case studies, with control groups consisting of counties that maintained geographically regulated admission throughout the observation period. Our findings indicate that free school choice contributed to increased segregation in the dimension of academic ability. However, although segregation in the other dimensions has increased substantially over time, we find no clear evidence linking this trend to the school choice reforms. We discuss possible explanations and implications for education policy.