Signals of aptitude and female STEM career choices

Agurto M.; Boisvert S.; Hari S.; Quevedo V.; Sarangi S.; Vegas S. · Economics of Education Review (2025) · DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2025.102727

Resumen

Gender disparities in STEM field participation persist widely across all levels. This study examines whether signals about academic aptitude influence participation in STEM fields. We draw on 10 years of administrative data on aptitude tests administered by a private university in Peru to approximately 3,000 high school students annually. Prior to taking the exam, students indicate their non-binding preferences for college majors. Admission to majors is based on cutoff scores on the exam. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that among students whose preferred major was not engineering, meeting the engineering math cutoff increases the probability of enrolling in engineering by 10–12 percentage points. These effects are particularly strong and statistically significant for female students. We also find evidence that the signal had a positive effect on graduation from engineering. Our results highlight the importance of external validation in shaping career decisions and carry important policy implications. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad de Piura