The effect of higher-achieving peers on major choices and labor market outcomes

Jan Feld and Ulf Zölitz

No 388, ECON - Working Papers from Department of Economics - University of Zurich

Abstract: This paper investigates how exposure to higher-achieving male and female peers in university affects students’ major choices and labor market outcomes. For identification of causal effects, we exploit the random assignment of students to university sections in first-year compulsory courses. We present two main results. First, studying with higher-achieving peers has no statistically significant or economically meaningful effects on educational choices. Second, we find suggestive evidence that women who have been exposed to higher achieving male peers end up in jobs in which they are more satisfied.

Keywords: Gender; major choice; peer effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-lma and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Journal Article: The effect of higher-achieving peers on major choices and labor market outcomes (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zur:econwp:388

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