A Simple Nudge Increases Socioeconomic Diversity in Undergraduate Economics

Todd Pugatch and Elizabeth Schroeder

No 14418, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We assess whether a light-touch intervention can increase socioeconomic and racial diversity in undergraduate Economics. We randomly assigned over 2,200 students a message with basic information about the Economics major; the basic message combined with an emphasis on the rewarding careers or financial returns associated with the major; or no message. Messages increased the proportion of first generation and underrepresented minority (URM) students majoring in Economics by five percentage points. This effect size was sufficient to reverse the gap in Economics majors between first generation/URM students and students not in these groups. Effect sizes were larger and more precise for better-performing students and first generation students. Extrapolating to the full sample, the treatment would double the proportion of first generation and underrepresented minority students majoring in Economics.

Keywords: nudges; higher education; diversity in economics; college major choice; randomized control trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2021-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cwa and nep-exp
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Published - published in: Economic Inquiry , 2024, 62 (1), 287 - 307

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Related works:
Journal Article: A simple nudge increases socioeconomic diversity in undergraduate Economics (2024)
Working Paper: A Simple Nudge Increases Socioeconomic Diversity in Undergraduate Economics (2021)
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