Citation

Discussion Paper Details

Please find the details for DP13966 in an easy to copy and paste format below:

Full Details | Bibliographic Reference

Full Details

Title: Exposure to More Female Peers Widens the Gender Gap in STEM Participation

Author(s): Anne Bren�e and Ulf Z�litz

Publication Date: August 2019

Keyword(s): Gender, peer effects and STEM studies

Programme Area(s): Labour Economics and Public Economics

Abstract: This paper investigates how high school gender composition affects students' participation in STEM at college. Using Danish administrative data, we exploit idiosyncratic within-school variation in gender composition. We find that having a larger proportion of female peers reduces women's probability of enrolling in and graduating from STEM programs. Men's STEM participation increases with more female peers present. In the long run, women exposed to more female peers are less likely to work in STEM occupations, earn less, and have more children. Our findings show that the school peer environment has lasting effects on occupational sorting, the gender wage gap, and fertility.

For full details and related downloads, please visit: https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=13966

Bibliographic Reference

Bren�e, A and Z�litz, U. 2019. 'Exposure to More Female Peers Widens the Gender Gap in STEM Participation'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=13966