Does School Duration Affect Student Performance? Findings from Canton-Based Variation in Swiss Educational Length

We investigate Swiss canton-based regulations determining the number of school years required to graduate from academic track secondary school. We find that this variation (12, 12.5 or 13 years) does not affect human capital levels (TIMSS math and science performance). This suggests that one could decrease school length from 13 to 12 years without decreasing student performance levels. A younger school leaving age could extend the working life, soften the burden of population ageing, increase life-time income and narrow the gap between desired and actual fertility.