Dr Margaret Leighton

Dr Margaret Leighton

Senior Lecturer

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 2442
Email
mal22@st-andrews.ac.uk

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Biography

Dr Margaret Leighton joined the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in 2015, after receiving her PhD from the Toulouse School of Economics. Originally from Canada, she completed her undergraduates studies at Mount Allison University in Economics.

Research areas

Margaret uses data to answer questions and to test economic hypotheses. While education is her primary field of interest, she has also worked on projects in development economics and labour economics. In recent research, she has gathered and analysed data to better understand how education policies shape students’ school choices and performance, and how those choices determine important later outcomes such as occupations, wages, and career satisfaction.

Links:

PhD supervision

  • JakubÌýKowalczyk
  • MercyÌýRugut
  • KairatÌýUmargaliyev

Selected publications

  • Open access
    Leighton, M. & Merkurieva, I., 17 Dec 2025, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 38 p. (Economics discussion papers (ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø); no. 2505).

    Research output: Working paper

  • Open access
    Leighton, M. & Speer, J. D., 6 Nov 2025, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 11 p. (Economics discussion papers (ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø); no. 2502).

    Research output: Working paper

  • Open access
    Leighton, M. A. & Speer, J., 9 Jun 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Education Finance and Policy. Early Access, p. 1-25

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Bhatia, K. & Leighton, M., 24 Apr 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Development Studies. Latest Articles, 19 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Leighton, M., Martine, A., Massaga, J. & Bunzari, E., Jul 2024, Providence, RI: Annenberg Institute at Brown University, 43 p. (EdWorkingPapers; no. 24-996).

    Research output: Working paper

  • Open access
    Leighton, M. A., Martine, A. & Massaga, J., 1 Oct 2023, In: World Development. 170, 23 p., 106335.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Leighton, M. A. & Speer, J. D., 1 Jan 2023, In: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy. 23, 1, p. 285-292 8 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Bhatia, K. & Leighton, M., 30 Nov 2022, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 38 p. (School of Economics and Finance Discussion Paper; no. 2206).

    Research output: Working paper

  • Open access
    Leighton, M. A., Dec 2022, In: Economics of Education Review. 91, 102312.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Leighton, M., 29 Jun 2021, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, p. 1-54, (School of Economics and Finance Discussion Paper; no. 2101).

    Research output: Working paper › Discussion paper

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