Affirmative Action in Brazilian Universities: Evidence From Longitudinal Data

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of racial and low-income quotas on the academic performance of senior students in Brazilian colleges and universities. Using longitudinal data from Brazil’s Higher Education Census and the National Examination of Student Performance (ENADE), and employing a fixed effects approach, the study examines the influence of these quotas on student outcomes. The results show that neither racial nor low-income quotas significantly impact the academic performance of either quota or non-quota students. This finding holds across different groups of majors, indicating that the inclusion of quota students does not detract from overall student achievement.