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

Kristin Butcher, Patrick McEwan and Akila Weerapana

No 31144, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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.

JEL-codes: I23 J16 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-04
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Published as Kristin F. Butcher & Patrick J. McEwan & Akila Weerapana, 2024. "Women’s Colleges and Economics Major Choice: Evidence from Wellesley College Applicants," Feminist Economics, vol 30(2), pages 123-161.

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Working Paper: Women's Colleges and Economics Major Choice: Evidence from Wellesley College Applicants (2023)
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