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The Impact of Advisor Gender on Female Students’ STEM Enrollment and Persistence

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  • Serena Canaan
  • Pierre Mouganie

Abstract

To reduce the gender gap in science fields, policymakers often propose providing women with mentoring by female scientists. However, there is no clear evidence on whether one-on-one mentor gender influences women’s STEM participation. We exploit a unique setting where students are randomly assigned to academic advisors—who are also faculty members—in their freshman year of college. Advisors help students select courses and decide on a major. We find that having a female rather than a male science advisor substantially increases the likelihood that women enroll and graduate with STEM degrees. A nonscience advisor’s gender has no impact on students’ major choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Serena Canaan & Pierre Mouganie, 2023. "The Impact of Advisor Gender on Female Students’ STEM Enrollment and Persistence," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 58(2), pages 593-632.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:58:y:2023:i:2:p:593-632
    Note: DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.58.4.0320-10796R2
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    Cited by:

    1. Goller, Daniel & Wolter, Stefan C., 2023. "Reaching for Gold! The Impact of a Positive Reputation Shock on Career Choice," IZA Discussion Papers 16607, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Meijun Liu & Sijie Yang & Yi Bu & Ning Zhang, 2023. "Female early-career scientists have conducted less interdisciplinary research in the past six decades: evidence from doctoral theses," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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