Judith Scott-Clayton

Judith Scott-Clayton is a Professor of Economics & Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She serves as a Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and is affiliated with the Community College Research Center (CCRC). Previously, she held the position of Senior Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) from 2022-2023. Her work bridges academic research with policy implementation in the field of education economics.

Professor Scott-Clayton's research focuses on the economics of education, with particular emphasis on financial aid systems, college access and completion, socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes, and labor market consequences of higher education. Her work investigates how policy interventions affect student decision-making, particularly among low-income and underrepresented populations. She has conducted extensive research on the effectiveness of various financial aid programs, the role of non-financial barriers in college success, and the long-term economic impacts of college completion.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on socioeconomic disparities in post-college outcomes, with multiple studies examining how family background affects earnings trajectories after graduation. She has also produced significant research on college completion programs, particularly the CUNY ACE program, analyzing both immediate impacts and long-term economic benefits. Her work consistently combines rigorous empirical methods with policy-relevant questions, often utilizing large-scale administrative datasets.

Professor Scott-Clayton actively engages with policy discussions through her social media presence and collaborations with research organizations. She has testified before Congress and advised federal agencies on education policy matters. Her research has been funded by multiple federal agencies and private foundations focused on improving educational opportunities and outcomes.

She maintains an active scholarly profile with numerous collaborations, most notably with Susan Dynarski, Lindsay Page, and Veronica Minaya. Her work appears regularly in top economics and education journals, and she frequently presents at major academic conferences in both economics and education policy fields.