Women's Colleges and Economics Major Choice: Evidence from Wellesley College Applicants

Kristin Butcher, Patrick McEwan and Akila Weerapana ()
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Akila Weerapana: https://www.wellesley.edu/economics/faculty/weerapanaa

No WP 2023-21, Working Paper Series from Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Abstract: Many observers argue that diversity in Economics and STEM fields is critical, not simply because of egalitarian goals, but because who is in a field may shape what is studied by it. If increasing the rate of majoring in mathematically-intensive fields among women is a worthy goal, then understanding whether women’s colleges causally affect that choice is important. Among all admitted applicants to Wellesley College, enrollees are 7.2 percentage points (94%) more likely to receive an Economics degree than non-enrollees (a plausible lower bound given negative selection into enrollment on math skills and major preferences). Overall, 3.2 percentage points—or 44% of the difference between enrollees and non-enrollees—is explained by college exposure to female instructors and students, consistent with a wider role for women’s colleges in increasing female participation in Economics.

Pages: 43
Date: 2023-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gen, nep-pke and nep-sog
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https://doi.org/10.21033/wp-2023-21 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Women’s Colleges and Economics Major Choice: Evidence from Wellesley College Applicants (2024)
Working Paper: Women's Colleges and Economics Major Choice: Evidence from Wellesley College Applicants (2023)
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