Measuring Performance and Accountability in Higher Education: A Review Article on Productivity in Higher Education

Credible and robust measurement of productivity in higher education institutions are needed to assess the accountability of the sector. This review article discusses the NBER volume Productivity in Higher Education. The volume contains articles estimating various facets of productivity in higher education including undergraduate outcomes from university, community college and online higher education, as well as the quality of teaching. The volume is an excellent example of combining economic reasoning with innovative data and clever analysis to yield credible conclusions. It contains important messages for the policy debate on scrutiny and accountability of Higher Education provision.