We estimate the impact of an increase in the number of schools on educational outcomes in
Nepal. We combine the between-district differences in number of new schools with variation in
exposure to these schools created by the virtue of individuals being of school-age. Our results
and back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that on average the increase in the number of
schools can explain about a third of the total differences in the reading and writing abilities for
the treated and control groups of women. These results underscore the continued importance of
increasing access to schooling in developing countries like Nepal.