Sebastián Otero

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Columbia University. Faculty Research Fellow at the NBER and Research Affiliate at IZA. PhD in Economics, Stanford University.

Sebastián Otero's research studies education and labor markets. He combines structural models of firm and consumer behavior with causal inference to identify the effects of regulation, technology, and competition. Contact: so2699@columbia.edu

Research and Publications

Equilibrium Effects of Food Labeling Policies — Econometrica, 2023
The Effects of Drinking and Driving Laws on Car Crashes, Injuries, and Deaths: Evidence from Chile — Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2017
Incentives, Evidence, and Reminders for Bureaucrats: Overcoming Barriers to Policy Scale Up — Submitted, 2026
Equilibrium Price Responses to Targeted Student Financial Aid — Submitted, 2026
The Effects of Widespread Online Education on Market Structure and Enrollment — R&R, Quarterly Journal of Economics
Food Labeling Policies: Aggregate Impacts and Heterogeneity Across Categories — R&R, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
The Global Gender Gap in STEM Applications: Pipeline vs. Choice — R&R, Economics of Education Review
Skin in the Game: Colleges’ Financial Incentives and Student Outcomes
The Equilibrium Effects of Public Provision in Education Markets
Affirmative Action in Centralized College Admissions Systems
The Best of Both Worlds? Can AI Agents Close the Digital Divide in School Enrollment — Work in progress
Equalizing the Great Equalizer: The Long-run Consequences of School Funding Reforms — Work in progress
Demand Shocks and Firm Dynamics: Evidence from Government Procurement Lotteries — Work in progress
A Horizon Scan of AI and Higher Education: Fourteen Issues That May Transform the Sector

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