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Home / Natalie Bau
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  • Public Policy

Natalie Bau

Professor of Economics and Public Policy

Natalie Bau is a Professor of Economics and Public Policy at UCLA. She is an economist studying topics in development and education economics and is particularly interested in the industrial organization of educational markets. She has studied private schooling and teacher compensation in Pakistan, the relationship between negotiation skills and girls’ educational outcomes in Zambia, and the interactions between educational investment and cultural traditions in Indonesia, Zambia, and Ghana.

Dr. Bau received her PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University, and is currently an affiliate of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the Centre for Economic Policy and Research.  Prior to joining UCLA, she was an assistant professor of economics at the University of Toronto.

Personal Academic Website.

Read More

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Public Policy, Harvard University
  • B.A. in Economics, Harvard University (Magna Cum Laude)

Areas of Expertise

  • Culture, Economics, Education, Industrial Organization, International Development, Quantitative Analysis

Latest News

Platter with Indian currency
How Dowry Shapes Migration Decisions in Modern India
October 10, 2025

Research led by UCLA's Natalie Bau shows how cultural traditions can evolve to play new economic roles.

three students at table in school library
Bau on the Chilling Effect on College Ambitions
July 3, 2023

The Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action could make higher education seem less attainable for some students of color, putting a damper on motivation.

Latest News

Platter with Indian currency

How Dowry Shapes Migration Decisions in Modern India

October 10, 2025

Research led by UCLA's Natalie Bau shows how cultural traditions can evolve to play new economic roles.

three students at table in school library

Bau on the Chilling Effect on College Ambitions

July 3, 2023

The Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action could make higher education seem less attainable for some students of color, putting a damper on motivation.

Assistant Professor Natalie Bau and Sloan Foundation logo

Bau Awarded Sloan Research Fellowship

February 17, 2022

Prestigious early-career fellowship, one of eight awarded to UCLA scholars and scientists, will support Bau's research into development and education economics.

Shah, Bau Investigate Lockdown Impact on Female Mental Health

September 28, 2021

COVID-19 containment measures in India exacerbated economic instability, food insecurity and mental health issues among women, especially in low-income areas.

Bau on Intersection of Culture and Policy

July 26, 2021

“I wanted to understand why parents might fail to invest in their children,” she said of her research in Indonesia and Ghana.

No more articles to load

Contact Information

Phone

(310) 206-2552

Email

nbau@ucla.edu

Office Location

9282, Bunche

Media Contact

For media inquiries, contact Kate Shirley at kshirley@luskin.ucla.edu (email preferred) or 310-206-5252.

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Departments
  • Public Policy
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  • Undergraduate Program
  • Urban Planning
Graduate Programs
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
Undergraduate Programs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
Professional Certificates
  • Data Analytics Certificate
  • Data Analytics Certificate
Admissions
Program Specific Admissions
  • Public Policy
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  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
Faculty
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  • All Faculty
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  • All Faculty
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
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Leadership
  • Our Dean
  • Board of Advisors
  • Faculty Executive Committee
  • Our Dean
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Research Centers
  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL):

    Uses data visualization to improve decision-making for family and child services.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL):

    Uses data visualization to improve decision-making for family and child services.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    A national leader in transportation policy and mobility research.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship addressing displacement and dispossession in Los Angeles and beyond.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    A national leader in transportation policy and mobility research.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship addressing displacement and dispossession in Los Angeles and beyond.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Researches housing, transportation, and economic development in Southern California.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI)

    Focuses on environmental policy, clean energy, and climate justice.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Researches housing, transportation, and economic development in Southern California.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI)

    Focuses on environmental policy, clean energy, and climate justice.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

All Research Centers
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