Comparative Academic Achievement of the University Students in Bangladesh: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

This paper examines the comparative academic performances of male and female students at tertiary level education in Bangladesh. Using cross section data of 8,985 students from five private universities in Bangladesh located around Chittagong zone, the study finds that the average scores of female students are slightly higher than their male counterparts. Examining the final examination grades of 3,447 female and 5,538 male students, the paper observes the evidence of heteroskedastic partition in academic scores among the groups. Both the ordinary least-squares (OLS) and generalized leastsquares (GLS) approaches have been employed to check the validity of the results. Descriptive and inferential measures have been used to explain the factors affecting the students' academic performance. The results suggest a general improvement in the performance of the students over time. Interaction between age and gender has been examined to serve expository purpose. Empirical investigation lends support in favor of such interaction. The paper also finds the variation in academic scores with regard to the difficulty of subjects studied. Findings of the paper may be useful to explain the source of heterogeneity in labor market returns to education in Bangladesh examined by Asadullah (2006). Contribution/ Originality: This study is one of very few studies which have investigated the reasons behind the heterogeneity in returns to education. Our current research may be useful to explain why the estimates of returns to education for females, who in general outperform the males academically, are higher than those of males.