Data and Code for Elite Universities and the Intergenerational Transmission of Human and Social Capital

Do elite colleges help talented students join the social elite, or help incumbent elites
retain their positions? We combine intergenerationally linked data from Chile with a regression discontinuity design to show that, across generations, elite colleges
do both. Lower-status individuals who gain admission to elite college programs transform their children’s social environment. Children are more likely to attend high-status private schools and colleges, and to live near and befriend peers of high social status. In
contrast, academic achievement is unaffected. Simulations combining descriptive and
quasi-experimental findings show that elite colleges tighten the link between social
and human capital while decreasing intergenerational social mobility.