Scientists have found that taller schoolchildren receive higher grades

A new study published in Economics and Human Biology has shown that, on average, taller students perform better on standardized school knowledge tests than their shorter peers.

Stephanie Coffey and Amy Ellen Schwartz examined the academic performance and physical characteristics of students in New York City public schools from third to eighth grade. The study used data from nearly five hundred thousand students over the period from 2010 to 2017.

As a result, they found a small positive correlation between height, standardized test results, and, accordingly, grades. Taller students received better grades than their shorter classmates in both humanities subjects, such as English, and technical subjects — mathematics.

Initially, the study was conducted to confirm or refute the hypothesis that taller individuals tend to earn higher wages. “It is widely known in the social sciences that, across all countries, taller men and women earn more than shorter ones,” says Stephanie Coffey, associate professor of economics at Saint Anselm College, who conducted the study together with Amy Ellen Schwartz from the University of Delaware. This hypothesis can be explained by the results of the new study, which confirm that taller individuals have academic advantages already during their schooling.

During the study, the researchers also suggested that it is not only the height itself that matters. What primarily influences school grades is the child’s height relative to their peers. Students who might actually be of average height but appear and feel taller compared to their classmates show better academic performance at school. In addition, the authors put forward a hypothesis about the influence of height on health status. Taller children may simply be healthier, and therefore they perform better academically. The researchers also examined whether taller students with better academic performance were less likely to skip school. However, there was practically no evidence that the tendency to skip classes actually affects test and exam grades.