As it turns out, having a pretty face can get you further.

A report recently published in Economic Letters showed that attractive students earn higher grades, but that advantage evaporates when the classes move online.

There has been research before linking beauty and physical attractiveness to success. Studies show that attractive people earn more money and report higher life satisfaction than those who are less attractive.

But these findings were emphasized by the fact that the advantage goes away when the teacher can’t see a student’s face.

The reason for the discrepancy is not well understood. One theory suggests that the beauty advantage is explained by discrimination. This theory says that employers inherently favor attractive workers.

Another theory suggests that beauty is a productivity-enhancing attribute in and of itself. Self-confidence could lead to greater productivity, in this theory.

In this study, Lund University grad student Adrian Mehic found that the beauty premium evaporates when classes move online, but only for female students – raising other questions.