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

Author

Listed:
  • Ahimbisibwe, Isaac

    (Baylor University)

  • Altjmed, Adam

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research)

  • Artemov, Georgy

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Barrios-Fernandez, Andres

    (Universidad de los Andes)

  • Bizopoulou, Aspasia

    (VATT, Helsinki)

  • Kaila, Martti

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Liu, Jin-Tan

    (National Taiwan University)

  • Megalokonomou, Rigissa

    (Monash University)

  • Montalban, Jose

    (SOFI, Stockholm University)

  • Neilson, Christopher A.

    (Princeton University)

  • Sun, Jintao

    (Rice University)

  • Otero, Sebastian

    (Columbia University)

  • Ye, Xiaoyang

    (Amazon)

Abstract

Women account for only 35% of global STEM graduates, a share that has remained unchanged for a decade. We use administrative microdata from centralized university admissions in ten systems to deliver the first cross-national decomposition of the STEM gender gap into a pipeline gap (academic preparedness) and a choice gap (first-choice field conditional on eligibility). In deferred-acceptance platforms where eligibility is score-based, we isolate preferences from access. The pipeline gap varies widely, from -19 to +31 percentage points across education systems. By contrast, the choice gap is remarkably stable: high-scoring women are 25 percentage points less likely than men to rank STEM first.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahimbisibwe, Isaac & Altjmed, Adam & Artemov, Georgy & Barrios-Fernandez, Andres & Bizopoulou, Aspasia & Kaila, Martti & Liu, Jin-Tan & Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Montalban, Jose & Neilson, Christopher , 2025. "Pipeline vs. Choice: The Global Gender Gap in STEM Applications," IZA Discussion Papers 18092, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18092
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Basit Zafar, 2013. "College Major Choice and the Gender Gap," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 48(3), pages 545-595.
    2. Roland G. Fryer & Steven D. Levitt, 2010. "An Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap in Mathematics," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 210-240, April.
    3. Matthew Wiswall & Basit Zafar, 2018. "Preference for the Workplace, Investment in Human Capital, and Gender," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(1), pages 457-507.
    4. Esteban Aucejo & Jonathan James, 2021. "The Path to College Education: The Role of Math and Verbal Skills," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(10), pages 2905-2946.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative

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