Researchers Identify Genetic Variants Associated with Educational Achievement

An international team of researchers has now found a genetic variation that can predict the education achievement of an individual.

The study was based on data obtained from 125,000 people from the U.S., Australia and 13 other European countries. Researchers say that the study offers insight into the genetic basis of learning. They maintain that the study doesn't imply that educational achievement is determined at birth.

"We hope that our findings will eventually be useful for understanding biological processes underlying learning, memory, reading disabilities and cognitive decline in the elderly," said co-author Daniel Benjamin, a behavioral economist at Cornell University, according to a news release.

Researchers from the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC) conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to see whether or not there is a link between genetic variation and educational attainment. In this type of study, researchers analyze thousands of genetic markers that are associated with characteristics of a particular disease or condition.

They found that each of the genetic variants linked with educational attainment could explain 0.02 percent variation in the results. The researchers could explain about 2 percent of the variation in educational achievement between two people.

"We have now taken a small but important first step toward identifying the specific genetic variants that predict educational attainment. Armed with this knowledge, we can now begin to examine how other factors -- including public policy, parental roles, and economic status -- dampen or amplify genetic effects and ultimately devise better remedies to bolster educational outcomes," said Dalton Conley, one of the study's co-authors from NYU.

The study is published in the journal Science.