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The Global Gender Gap in STEM Applications: Pipeline vs. Choice

Author

Listed:
  • Ahimbisibwe, Isaac

    (Baylor University)

  • Altmejd, Adam

    (IFAU, Uppsala)

  • Artemov, Georgy

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Barrios-Fernández, Andrés

    (Universidad de los Andes)

  • Bizopoulou, Aspasia

    (VATT Institute for Economic Research)

  • Kaila, Martti

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Liu, Jin-Tan

    (National Taiwan University)

  • Megalokonomou, Rigissa

    (Monash University)

  • Montalbán, José

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University)

  • Neilson, Christopher

    (Yale University)

  • Otero, Sebastián

    (Columbia University)

  • Sun, Jintao

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Ye, Xiaoyang

    (Amazon)

Abstract

Women make up only 35% of STEM graduates worldwide. We use ranked applications and assignments from ten centralized university admissions systems to distinguish gender differences in academic preparation (the pipeline) from differences in application decisions (the choice gap). Among students in the top 10% of each setting’s academic performance distribution, women are about 24 percentage points less likely than men to rank STEM first, averaging across settings. The pipeline gap varies widely and broadly tracks wage parity; the STEM choice gap remains large and negative everywhere. Linking applications to assignments shows that women’s underrepresentation largely precedes allocation. Pooled across settings, women are 51.2% of high achievers, 38.6% of those listing STEM anywhere, 34.0% of those ranking it first, and 34.7% of those assigned to STEM. Holding application rates fixed, a gender-balanced pipeline would still leave high-achieving STEM applicants between 57% and 75% male in every setting. A strong female academic pipeline can therefore coexist with substantial underrepresentation in STEM.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahimbisibwe, Isaac & Altmejd, Adam & Artemov, Georgy & Barrios-Fernández, Andrés & Bizopoulou, Aspasia & Kaila, Martti & Liu, Jin-Tan & Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Montalbán, José & Neilson, Christopher , 2026. "The Global Gender Gap in STEM Applications: Pipeline vs. Choice," SOFI Working Papers in Labour Economics 12/2026, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:sofile:2026_012
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • 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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