Evaluation of Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge, the early impact of Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge on pre-16 outcomes: an economic evaluation

Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge was launched by the DfES in 2001. The policy, which aims to increase the number of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who apply for and subsequently enter higher education, was implemented in schools and colleges in deprived (and primarily urban) areas. In this report both linear regression and propensity score matching techniques are used to compare the outcomes of individuals in Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge schools with those in a set of comparison schools. The report presents the pupil level data used in the analysis, discusses both the linear regression and the ‘matching’ methodologies, and presents the results of the analyses using these methodologies. It also uses the results from the regression ‘difference-indifferences’ to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis.