This study examines the impact of state funding on STEM and non-STEM degree completion at U.S. public four-year colleges. Using data from 2003 to 2019, I find that increased state appropriations significantly boost STEM degree completion, particularly for male students and at less selective institutions, while having minimal effect on non-STEM degrees. A 10% funding increase leads to a 3.4% rise in STEM degrees, mainly four years later, attributed to increased institutional spending and more STEM programs.

This paper examines the effects of recreational marijuana legalization (RML) on US college enrollment. Using difference-in-differences and event study methods, I find RML increases first-time enrollments by up to 9%, particularly out-of-state enrollments, without affecting degree completion rates. The impact is strongest for non-selective public colleges in early-adopting states. RML does not appear to influence college prices, quality, or in-state enrollment.

This paper analyzes the population of athletes at all Division I NCAA institutions. Using publicly available data from the US Department of Education, the NCAA, and institutions’ athletic rosters, we document several novel facts. We show that elite institutions enroll more athletes and field more varsity teams than even the largest public institutions, despite having drastically smaller student bodies. Finally, we analyze the effect of a hypothetical policy that would restrict student athletes at each universities to be less than a certain fraction of the overall student body.

I investigate how state-imposed tuition caps and freezes affect the relationship between tuition and fees at US public universities. A one-dollar increase in tuition leads to a 45 to 62 cent reduction in fees, as institutions raise or introduce new fees when tuition increases are limited. Using an instrumental variable approach, I find that while the fee share has a negligible effect on first-time college enrollment, it significantly reduces STEM major completions. A 10 percentage point increase in fee share results in a 1.6 percent decrease in STEM major awards.

This paper investigates the impact of supply- and demand-side policy interventions on firms’ output and innovation. Leveraging a unique dataset on vaccine production and development, we evaluate the effectiveness of a tort reform, a supply-side policy intervention that reduces vaccine manufacturers’ product liability, and a demand-side policy intervention, the expansion of Medicare coverage of select vaccine products.