Gifted Children Programs’ Short and Long-Term Impact: Higher Education, Earnings, and the Knowledge Economy

This paper examines the short- and long-term consequences of participation in high school Gifted Children Programs (GCPs). Using administrative data that follow individuals from primary school to adulthood, we find that while these programs have negligible effects on high school academic achievement, they substantially influence university trajectories. Specifically, GCP participation shifts the choice of field of study, increases the incidence of double majors, and increases the probability of attaining advanced degrees. Interestingly, we find no effect on earnings or employment—either overall or within knowledge-based sectors—indicating that the high baseline productivity gifted children possess is not further enhanced by program participation. However, we find that GCP participation positively affects spouse “quality” and significantly increases the likelihood of working with fellow GCP peers, suggesting that the program has important long-run effects on the social connections of gifted students. We discuss potential mechanisms within the context of psychological theories of giftedness.