Data set for University Misreporting of Student Metrics: Evidence from the Labor Market for Professional Football Players
Description
This data set is used in a study that investigates the accuracy of student-athlete heights reported by universities in media guides. The study is aimed at determining how inflated heights affect the labor market for professional football players. The data set contains manually collected information from 1,334 student-athletes who participated in the NFL Scouting Combine, which is an annual event where student athletes showcase their skills to NFL teams. The data relates to NFL Scouting combine participation between 2018 and 2022. The main variables of interest in the data set are "height inflation" and "drafted". Height inflation is calculated as the difference between the heights reported by universities in their media guides and the independent, rigorous height measurements taken at the NFL Scouting Combine. Drafted equals 1 when the student athlete was drafted into the NFL, and zero if the student-athlete remained undrafted after the NFL draft. In addition to height information, the data set contains information about the student-athlete's performance in their college career, their weight, their participation in Combine drills, etc. University-level variables (for 185 universities), such as the school's reputation and size, are also considered.