The impact of school vouchers in developing countries: A systematic review

•Systematically reviewed the impact of education vouchers in developing countries.•Systematic searching identified two rigorous evaluations; Colombia and Pakistan.•Programs likely improved equity and were cost-effective over time.•Evaluations did not examine impact on overall education quality.•Further voucher experiments in developing countries are needed.

We report on a systematic review of evaluations of education voucher programs in developing countries. Extensive searching identified two studies that met inclusion criteria—one examining the Colombia PACES program and the other evaluating the Quetta, Pakistan Urban Fellowship program. Both programs increased private school enrollment among the countries’ poorest income groups, thus probably improving equity. The Pakistan program resulted in girls being educated for less than it would have cost for the government to create public school spaces, while the Colombia program cost more, but will most likely prove cost-effective in terms of long-term economic gains. More rigorous research in developing country contexts is necessary to determine whether the gains from these two programs can be replicated and enhanced.