Nudging women towards pursuing their university careers

Juliana Bernhofer, Luca Bonacini and Giuseppe Pignataro

Economica, 2025, vol. 92, issue 367, 883-919

Abstract: This study explores the impact of light‐touch interventions on the academic outcomes of female scholarship recipients. In a randomized trial involving nearly 2000 students at the University of Bologna, we delivered a targeted message highlighting how higher education can reduce the gender gap in the labour market, and boost employment prospects. The nudge increased the likelihood of meeting scholarship requirements by nearly 5 percentage points, alongside significant gains in passing exams with higher credit values, and a reduction in failed exams in the medium term, with no short‐term effects. Notably, there was an improvement in grades during the July/August exam period, reflecting a shift towards prioritizing quality over quantity in academic efforts, even though grades were not part of the requirements for maintaining scholarships. Treated students exhibited enhanced academic focus and more strategic study habits, without increasing overall exam load. These findings highlight the potential of cost‐effective informational nudges to drive meaningful changes for women facing financial and informational barriers, providing valuable insights for policies designed to support female students. The results emphasize the importance of well‐timed informational interventions in helping women to make informed decisions about their education, ultimately enhancing their academic success and long‐term economic prospects.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/ecca.12577

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:econom:v:92:y:2025:i:367:p:883-919

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0013-0427

Access Statistics for this article

Economica is currently edited by Frank Cowell, Tore Ellingsen and Alan Manning

More articles in Economica from London School of Economics and Political Science Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().