Variation in Immigrant Educational Attainment

"Why Are Some Immigrant Groups More Successful Than Others?" is the title of a paper released today by the National Bureau of Economic Research (abstract available here). The paper notes that educational attainment varies widely, but so does the relative number of slots the U.S. provides to those from different countries. Educational ability is a factor for all countries. As a result, the study finds, immigrants from countries with relatively few slots will educationally outpace those from countries with more slots and better educational systems. The paper is by Edward P. Lazear of Stanford University.