24 August 2026
CEBI research on grade variability covered by Weekendavisen and P1 Orientering
Asbjørn Juul Petersen and Jacob Richard Bøggild Strabo are interviewed about a recent research project to the Danish newspaper Weekendavisen and to the national radio program “P1 Orientering” (10th of August 1:07:33)
In the project, CEBI researcher Asbjørn Juul Petersen and Jacob Richard Bøggild Strabo investigate how variation in high school grades are related to future labour market outcomes. They show that conditional on having identical high school GPAs, individuals with lower grade variability have significantly higher income and employment rates around 20 years after high school graduation. The results hold even when conditioning on social background and even in a twin study.
Additionally the authors show that individuals with more volatile grade performances are underrepresented in professions with a low tolerance for errors such as medical professionals, engineering, and accounting but over represented in professions where good ideas are foundational for success: Entrepreneurship, scientific research, and work with art.
Finally, the researchers show that the differences reach beyond the professional lives. Individuals with lower grade variability are significantly more likely to have been married for more than six years and less likely to be divorced.