Information and Stated Educational Migration Choices: Experimental Evidence from India

Last registered on August 08, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Information and Stated Educational Migration Choices: Experimental Evidence from India
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016378
Initial registration date
August 03, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
August 08, 2025, 6:44 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Merve Demirel
Affiliation
Stockholm University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-08-04
End date
2026-08-30
Keywords
Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
educational migration, college access, survey experiment
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates how students' beliefs about college destinations influence their higher education choices, and whether testimonial information from previous students can shift both beliefs and preferences. Using data from secondary school students in India, I first estimate the baseline relationship between migration-related beliefs and stated college preferences. I then test the causal impact of peer testimonials on beliefs and preferences through a randomized information experiment, with particular attention to gender differences in these relationships.

The study comprises two complementary analyses. First, I estimate preference formation using discrete choice models that exploit within-subject variation across college destinations. Second, I use randomized assignment of testimonial information to generate exogenous variation in beliefs, allowing me to identify the causal impact of beliefs on preferences and test whether information interventions can influence educational migration decisions.

The intervention provides students with testimonial information from current university students who migrated from similar backgrounds to study in one out-of-state destination. Each testimonial focuses on one of three key concerns about educational migration: safety, parental approval, or social integration. Students are randomly assigned to receive one testimonial, or to a control group that receives no additional information. The testimonials feature same-gender migrants sharing their personal experiences and addressing common misconceptions about studying away from home.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Demirel, Merve. 2025. "Information and Stated Educational Migration Choices: Experimental Evidence from India." AEA RCT Registry. August 08. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16378-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The information treatment consists of testimonials from migrant students who share the respondent's gender and have moved to the out-of-state destination, focusing on the experiences of the migrant student on one of three non-pecuniary dimensions; safety, parental approval, or social integration at the destination.
Intervention Start Date
2025-08-04
Intervention End Date
2025-08-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Index of willingness to migrate
Target non-pecuniary cost of migration
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
See pre-analysis plan for a more detailed description of the primary outcomes.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Index of non-pecuniary costs of educational migration
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
See pre-analysis plan for a more detailed description of the secondary outcomes.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The pure control group will comprise 50% of the survey sample. The remaining 50% will be evenly divided across three treatment arms (receiving testimonies related to parental approval, safety or social integration), with each treatment group assigned 16.7% of the sample.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Two-stage randomization using random uniform numbers (0-1) generated automatically within the survey instrument:
Stage 1: A random number determines treatment status (0.00-0.50 = control; 0.50-1.00 = treatment)
Stage 2: For participants assigned to treatment, a second random number determines treatment arm (e.g., 0.00-0.33 = Treatment A; 0.33-0.67 = Treatment B; 0.67-1.00 = Treatment C)
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
15 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
900 pupils across 15 schools
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
450 in treatment, 450 in control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
For pooled analysis: 0.18 SD For each treatment arm: 0.25 SD
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
The DAI Research & Advisory Services Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2025-04-23
IRB Approval Number
PN-MH-01/2025-2026
IRB Name
Etikprovningsmyndigheten
IRB Approval Date
2025-07-01
IRB Approval Number
2025-04262-01
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information