Philip Oreopoulos is an expert in labor economics with a focus on education. Professor Oreopoulos applies rigorous empirical methods and large-scale field experiments to study how education policies and practices shape student achievement, access to higher education, and long-term well-being. His work often incorporates insights from behavioral economics to examine the psychological and informational barriers that influence educational decisions.
Professor Oreopoulos’s research has evaluated the impact of interventions such as tutoring, coaching, and financial aid on student success, while also highlighting how social and nonacademic factors influence outcomes. He has documented the broader benefits of education beyond earnings, including effects on health, trust, and well-being. His work on discrimination has become widely cited in discussions of systemic bias. Professor Oreopoulos has written several summary articles on how students can make the most out of college, and about policies to best help students succeed. His current work explores how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can expand access to personalized learning.
An internationally recognized scholar, Professor Oreopoulos has published widely in leading journals and served for more than a decade as editor of the Journal of Labor Economics. He currently is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and cochairs the education program at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). He also served as special advisor to the College Board, contributing to efforts for improving college admissions and access.
At the University of Toronto, Professor Oreopoulos teaches and mentors students in labor economics and education policy. He has also held visiting appointments at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.