Competitive Schools and the Gender Gap in the Choice of Field of Study

Fanny Landaud (1, 2) , Son Thierry Ly (1, 2) , Eric Maurin (1, 2)

1 PSE - Paris School of Economics
2 PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques

In most developed countries, students have to choose a major field of study during high school. This is an important decision as it largely determines subsequent educational and occupational choices. Using French data, this paper reveals that enrollment at a more selective high school, with higher-achieving peers, has no impact on boys, but a strong impact on girls’ choices: they turn away from scientific fields and settle for less competitive ones. Our results are not consistent with two commonly-advanced explanations for gender differences in field of study, namely disparities in prior academic preparation and in sensitivity to rank in class.

Domaines: Economies et finances

Fanny Landaud, Son Thierry Ly, Eric Maurin. Competitive Schools and the Gender Gap in the Choice of Field of Study. Journal of Human Resources, 2020, 55 (1), pp.278-308. ⟨10.3368/jhr.55.2.0617.8864R⟩. ⟨halshs-01885436⟩