Beyond academic achievement: class size and distress in early school years

Abstract

Although the effects of class size have long attracted academic and public attention, causal research has focused primarily on cognitive outcomes, potentially underestimating the broader effects on students. Using data from Danish primary schools, this study documents that larger classes in grades K-2 significantly increase students’ self-reported physical and emotional distress, with effects concentrated among students from low-income families. These results highlight the socioemotional consequences of class size and underscore the importance of considering student well-being alongside academic outcomes when evaluating and designing class-size policies.