International Student Mobility: An Information Experiment

Last registered on February 24, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
International Student Mobility: An Information Experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017923
Initial registration date
February 19, 2026

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
February 24, 2026, 6:16 AM EST

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
marco bertoni
Affiliation
University of Padova
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Simone Griogoletto
PI Affiliation
Padova University
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PI Name
Filippo Da Re
PI Affiliation
Padova University
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PI Name
Giulia De Matteis
PI Affiliation
Padova University
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PI Name
Daniele Corrias
PI Affiliation
Padova University
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PI Name
Ambra Galeazzo
PI Affiliation
Padova University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-02-23
End date
2026-06-05
Keywords
Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
International mobility, Erasmus, information intervention, expectations, perceived returns
JEL code(s)
I21, J24, D83
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This research project evaluates the causal effect of an information treatment on students’ intentions to participate in international mobility programs. The study focuses on undergraduate students enrolled in the Economics bachelor’s degree (TrEC) at the University of Padua.
As part of a broader survey aimed at understanding students’ preferences, expectations, and perceived barriers to mobility, participants will be randomly assigned at the individual level to one of three groups:
- Control group receiving general information about mobility opportunities.
- Treatment group receiving additional information on the academic benefits of studying abroad.
- Treatment group receiving information on both academic and labor market returns.
The treatment consists of standardized written information summarizing evidence from the economic literature on the academic and employment effects of international mobility. Previous research shows that study abroad experiences are associated with improved academic performance, timely graduation, higher employment probabilities, shorter job search durations and a greater likelihood of working abroad after graduation (see Granato et al., 2024 and De Paola et al., 2026)
Participants will be recruited through in-class announcements and the Moodle platform. Participation is voluntary, uncompensated, and the survey duration is approximately 5–10 minutes.
The study aims to contribute to the literature by estimating whether exposure to evidence-based information about academic and labor market returns significantly affects students’ intentions to apply to mobility programs.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
bertoni, marco et al. 2026. "International Student Mobility: An Information Experiment." AEA RCT Registry. February 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17923-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention is an information treatment by providing additional information to randomly selected participants, assigned to one of the three arms:
Control: general information about mobility opportunities.
Treatment 1: general info + academic benefits of study abroad (evidence-based).
Treatment 2: general info + academic benefits + labor market returns (evidence-based).
No deception is used; materials are factual and sourced (see references)
Intervention Start Date
2026-02-23
Intervention End Date
2026-03-13

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Intention to participate in an international mobility program (e.g. Erasmus), measured in the survey.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Survey question: Do you intend to participate in an international mobility experience during your university studies?
Binary variable equal to 1 if the respondent intends to participate
Timing: immediately after information exposure

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Best timing for a mobility experience: “If you decided to take part in a mobility program, when do you believe would be the best time?” (categorical variable)
Main motivation for International mobility: “What factors would encourage you (or have encouraged you) to participate in an international mobility experience?” (categorical variable)
Main barriers to International mobility: “What factors would discourage you (or have discouraged you) to participate in an international mobility program? (categorical variable)
Perceived economic accessibility of international mobility opportunities “Regardless of your intentions or experience, how affordable do you think international mobility opportunities are for a student like you?” (categorical variable)
Post-Bachelor plans “Following the conclusion of the bachelor’s degree, what would you want to do next?” (categorical variable)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Gaining more information on motivations for enrollment in mobility programs and future study plans

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Three-arm individual-level randomized controlled trial among undergraduate Economics (TrEC) students at the University of Padua. Recruitment occurs via in-class announcements and the Moodle platform. The survey lasts approximately 5-10 minutes and will be administered through Google Form. Participation is voluntary and uncompensated.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computerized random assignment, implemented by randomly forwarding respondents to different Google Forms when clicking on the participation link. Equal assignment probability across arms
Randomization Unit
Randomization at the individual level (participants in the experiment).
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No cluster - individual randomization.
Sample size: planned number of observations
1100 students enrolled in the bachelor in economics at the university of padova (year 1 and 2 - potential extension to year 3). We assume a potential non-response rate of 40%, hence effective sample size 660
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control: 1/3 (expected = 220 students)
Treatment 1 (academic benefits): 1/3 (expected = 220 students)
Treatment 2 (academic + labor market returns): 1/3 (expected = 220 students)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Assuming a target population of 1,100 participants and 40% non-response rate, we expect an effective sample of 660 individuals. We conducted power calculations for an individually randomized design with a binary outcome (Y), using a two-sided test with significance level α = 0.05 and power 1 − β = 0.80. Given the assumed control-group baseline outcome rate (specified below), the implied Minimum Detectable Effect (MDE) is: MDE= 9.5 pp if E(Y)=0.20, for two treatment groups (C=1/3 vs T1=1/3 or T2=1/3) MDE= 8.4 pp if E(Y)=0.20, for one pooled treatment group (C=1/3 vs pooled T=2/3) MDE= 11.4 pp if E(Y)=0.30, for two treatment groups (C=1/3 vs T1=1/3 or T2=1/3) MDE= 10.0 pp if E(Y)=0.30, for one pooled treatment group (C=1/3 vs pooled T= 2/3)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Research Ethics Committee of the FISPPA Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (CERD), University of Padua
IRB Approval Date
2026-02-18
IRB Approval Number
0000971
Analysis Plan