How Did EU Membership of Eastern Europe Affect Student Achievement?

The accession of Eastern European countries to the European Union increased family wealth and the returns to schooling. I analyze the change in student achievement due to the EU accession of Eastern Europe building on a panel of six PISA waves covering more than 1 million students in 32 countries. Using a difference-in-differences approach I find a positive and statistically significant link of EU membership to reading scores by one decile of a standard deviation. Mediation analysis suggests school efficiency, family wealth, and family structure as key transmitters of EU membership to student achievement.