New Scholarly Book by Mixon and Bordere Hits Shelves Today

As pointed out in a 2023 essay in The European Business Review, more attractive people seem to get better jobs, make more money, and supposedly have happier lives. A new scholarly book by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and Jasmine Bordere, an associate professor of accounting in the Turner College, titled The Beauty Premium in Academe: An Economic Approach reviews much of the economics literature on the relationship between beauty and rewards, with particular attention to higher education. It begins with an examination of how beauty – their own and that of their peers and professors – works to benefit students in the academy, primarily through their admission to college and their grades whilst enrolled in college. From there it delves into the benefits of attractiveness to university faculty, primarily through student evaluations of their teaching effectiveness, the response by editors and ad hoc reviewers to their scholarly activity, and through their ability to professionally advance in other ways. From there it transitions to academic research related to how physical attractiveness impacts extra-curricular activities and the decisions some students make with regard to financing their educational pursuits. Lastly, the book concludes by exploring how beauty impacts university graduates’ ability to secure employment at the end of their academic journeys.