Determinants of Performance in Introductory Courses in Economics and Seven Other Disciplines

Using an unusually rich data set, production functions are estimated for student performance in introductory courses in Economics and seven other disciplines. Factors shown to influence success in Introductory Economics include SAT scores, student motivation, performance in high school, parent's education and the student's need for achievement. Quality of instruction also influences student performance, but student assessment of instructor quality is a poor predictor of performance. The factors most consistent in explaining performance across disciplines are SAT scores.