Can international mobility shape students' attitudes toward inequality? The Brazilian case

In this study, we examine the impact of international mobility programs on students’ attitudes toward inequality, focusing on two dimensions: preference and perception of inequality. To provide causal evidence, we exploit unique survey data about more than a thousand students from a well-known and internationalized Brazilian university. Using Propensity Score Matching to construct an artificial comparison group, we find that going abroad does not affect students’ preference to reduce within-country inequality in Brazil. Still, international mobility affects students’ salary preferences, with mobile students expressing their preferences for favoring a raise in salaries for high-skilled jobs. Results also show that mobility affects how individuals perceive current inequality, as students who participate in mobility programs believe within-country inequality is smaller than their non-mobile counterparts. Our analysis presents empirical evidence to reflect on the role of international student mobility, providing insights to policymakers engaged in understanding their effects.

Keywords: Exchange Programs, Income Redistribution, Tertiary Education, Impact Evaluation, Propensity Score Matching

JEL Classification: D31, D63, I24