The Effects of Professor Gender on the Postgraduation Outcomes of Female Students Articles uri icon

publication date

  • March 2021

start page

  • 693

end page

  • 715

issue

  • 3

volume

  • 75

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0019-7939

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2162-271X

abstract

  • Although women earn approximately 50% of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) bachelor¿s degrees, more than 70% of scientists and engineers are men. The authors explore a potential determinant of this STEM gender gap using newly collected data on the career trajectories of United States Air Force Academy students. Specifically, they examine the effects of being assigned female math and science professors on occupation choice and postgraduate education. The results indicate that, among high-ability female students, being assigned a female professor leads to substantial increases in the probability of working in a STEM occupation and the probability of receiving a STEM master¿s degree. © The Author(s) 2021.

subjects

  • Economics
  • Sociology

keywords

  • female professors; gender gap; occupational segregation; postsecondary education; stem occupations