Comparative Advantage and Gender Gap in STEM

Abstract

Why are females, compared with males, both more likely to have strong STEM‐related performance and less likely to enter a STEM field later on? We exploit random classroom assignment to identify the impact of comparative STEM advantage on specialization decisions. Comparative STEM advantage is proxied by the within‐classroom ranking of the ratio of STEM over non‐STEM performance. We find that females with a higher comparative STEM advantage are more likely to choose a STEM school track and apply for a STEM degree. Comparative STEM advantage explains 12 percent of the underrepresentation of qualified females in the earliest instance of STEM specialization.