What drives families’ school choices? Research project awarded SEK 5 million
A new research project examines what drives families’ school choices. Do they choose schools based on quality, or on the types of pupils who already attend them? Jonas Vlachos, Professor of Economics at Stockholm University, and Helena Svaleryd, Professor at Uppsala University, have been awarded funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.
The factors behind school choice in Sweden
Sweden’s independent school reform was introduced in 1992. At its core, the reform means that families should be able to choose schools that offer their children the best opportunities to develop.
A substantial body of research shows that families’ school choices are largely influenced by the pupils who attend a school, rather than by how much the school actually contributes to learning.
“One possible explanation is that previous research has measured school quality too narrowly, focusing on academic performance,” says Jonas Vlachos. Another explanation is that it is difficult for families to assess the quality of a school before making their choice.
By measuring schools’ contributions not only to academic performance but also to mental health and crime, Jonas Vlachos and Helena Svaleryd aim to improve our understanding of how school choice works and what conditions are needed for competition between schools to improve the quality of education.
The project has been awarded nearly SEK 5 million by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. At Stockholm University, a total of five projects (out of 45) have been awarded RJ Project grants and five (out of 28) RJ Sabbatical grants.
Read the press release from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (in Swedish)
Jonas Vlachos, Professor of Economics at Stockholm University.
Last updated: 2026-11-09
Source: Department of Economics