Who Benefits From Kindergarten? Evidence From the Introduction of State Subsidization

Over the past 70 years, all states in the United States began to publicly subsidize kindergarten using state revenue. The variation in adoption dates across states allows for a unique opportunity to measure the effectiveness of the largest early education program implemented in recent history. The significant, immediate increase in the availability of kindergarten within a state is used to identify the effect of enrollment in kindergarten. Hispanic children, non-English speakers, children from immigrant households, and children of low socioeconomic status benefit the most from the increased availability of kindergarten. Hispanic children with access to kindergarten are 17% less likely to be below grade for their age and earn wages 5% higher as adults.