Decomposing ethnic differences in university academic achievement in New Zealand

Tim Maloney (CSDA Director 2016-2019) and Zhaoyi Cao use individual-level administrative data to examine the extent and potential explanations for the relatively poorer academic performance of three ethnic minority groups in their first year of study at a New Zealand university. Substantial differences in course completion rates and letter grades are found for Māori, Pasifika, and Asian students relative to their European counterparts. These large and significant gaps persist in the face of alternative definitions of ethnicity and sample restrictions.

Citation:
Cao, Z. & Maloney, T. (2017). Decomposing ethnic differences in university academic achievement in New Zealand. Higher Education, 75(4), 565-587.