IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT UNIVERSITY: QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE

We evaluate the impact of participation in a university entrepreneurship education program on graduates’ subsequent entrepreneurial activity within 10 years after their application. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that program participation increases selection into careers related to entrepreneurship, the likelihood of founding, and multiple indicators of startup quality. Several secondary analyses suggest that the observed program effect is driven not by a mere increase in skills and abilities of individual students but rather by social capital obtained through program participation. Overall, the study suggests a strong positive causal effect between program participation and the measured outcome variables.