The Gender Gap in Gender-Blind University Admissions

Yi Han, Dorothea Kübler, Yiming Liu, Xinye Zheng and Yibo Zong

No 62, Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers from Berlin School of Economics

Abstract: We document a substantial gender gap in China’s gender-blind university admissions system: equally qualified female students are less likely to apply and be admitted to elite universities than male students. Leveraging linked administrative and survey data on students’ application choices, preferences, and beliefs, we show that this gap is largely explained by women’s stronger tendency to apply to nearby and education-focused universities. Although men and women report similar personal preferences, female students perceive stronger parental pressure to remain close to home and choose education-focused universities, and are more likely to align their choices with these parental preferences than men. Moreover, the gap is concentrated among students with strong gender stereotype beliefs and disappears among those with weak stereotype beliefs. Our findings demonstrate that gender-blind institutional design alone is insufficient to ensure equal access when men and women face different societal expectations.

JEL-codes: D91 I23 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 73 pages
Date: 2025-03-03
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bdp:dpaper:0062

DOI: 10.48462/opus4-5756

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