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The Impact of Female Teachers on Female Students’ Lifetime Well-Being

Author

Listed:
  • David Card
  • Ciprian Domnisoru
  • Seth Sanders
  • Lowell Taylor
  • Victoria Udalova

Abstract

We document an enduring influence of female primary school teachers on their female students in rural America circa 1940. Using historical US Census data linked to IRS records, later censuses, and death records, we find that exposure to female teachers significantly improved girls’ educational attainment—particularly among those with poorly-educated parents and in areas with limited labor market opportunities for women. These educational gains translated into delayed marriage and childbearing, marriage matches to better-educated husbands and higher household income. We also find that exposure to female teachers increased longevity of women relative to men.

Suggested Citation

  • David Card & Ciprian Domnisoru & Seth Sanders & Lowell Taylor & Victoria Udalova, 2026. "The Impact of Female Teachers on Female Students’ Lifetime Well-Being," Working Papers 26-39, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:26-39
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2026/adrm/ces/CES-WP-26-39.pdf
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    2. Card, David & Clark, Leah & Domnisoru, Ciprian & Taylor, Lowell, 2025. "School equalization in the shadow of Jim Crow: Causes and consequences of resource disparity in Mississippi circa 1940," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    3. Nguyen, The Linh Bao, 2025. "Affirmative action, Education and Labor market outcomes in Vietnam," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Kassim, Gafaru Bakari & Han, Yousueng & Hong, Sounman, 2026. "Examining the effects of gender representation on student academic performance in STEM subjects," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    5. Morando, Greta & Sen, Sonkurt, 2025. "Teacher Gender Effects on Students’ Socio-Emotional Skills," IZA Discussion Papers 17953, IZA Network @ LISER.
    6. Frank Germann & Stephen J. Anderson & Pradeep K. Chintagunta & Naufel Vilcassim, 2024. "Frontiers: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Female Mentors," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(2), pages 244-253, March.
    7. Alexandra de Gendre & Jan Feld & Nicolás Salamanca & Ulf Zölitz, 2023. "Same-sex teacher effects," ECON - Working Papers 438, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised May 2024.
    8. Muller, Noël & Fruttero, Anna & Calvo-González, Óscar & de Hoop, Jacobus, 2026. "Policies for aspirations. And opportunities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    9. Ciccarelli , Carlo & Marciante, Gianni, 2026. "Women's Education and Fertility in Italy at the Onset of the Demographic Transition," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 804, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    10. Ferrando, Mery & Gille, Véronique, 2025. "Does the identity of leaders matter for education? Evidence from the first black governor in the US," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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