Greek Life, Academics, and Earnings

Using records from a large public university, we examine the impact of Greek social organizations on academic performance and labor market outcomes. To isolate the causal effect of Greek life, we exploit a university policy prohibiting students from joining a Greek organization during their first semester and requiring a minimum grade point average (GPA) for eligibility. Regression discontinuity and panel methods reveal that Greek affiliation reduces student grades by 0.1 – 0.3 standard deviations. Greek effects are largest during the semester of pledging, semesters of increased social activities, and for males. We find no evidence that Greek affiliation improves labor market outcomes for marginally eligible students.