Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Title: Relative Grades and Gender Differences in STEM Enrollment
Author-Name: Larissa Fuchs
Author-Email: larissa.fuchs@wiso.uni-koeln.de
Author-Name: Pia Pinger
Author-Email: pinger@uni-koeln.de
Author-Name: Philipp Seegers
Author-Email: pks@candidate-select.de

Classification-JEL: I21, I24, J16, J24
Keywords: gender gap, STEM enrollment, relative grades, ranks

Abstract: Based on novel administrative and survey data from Germany, this study investigates the importance
of relative STEM performance in high school for the gender gap in STEM enrollment.
We first document that males display a higher relative STEM performance than females, which
however mainly emerges from females' stronger achievement in non-STEM subjects. Our findings
further reveal that a one-standard-deviation increase in grade-based STEM advantage raises
the likelihood of pursuing a STEM degree by approximately 19 percentage points for males, but
only by half as much for females. A decomposition analysis shows that 26% of the STEM gender
gap could be attributed to differences in grade-based STEM performance if major preferences
resembled those of males. However, relative grades are largely unimportant in an environment
where preferences mirror those of females. This suggests that STEM performance differences
have limited influence on females' decisions to pursue STEM degrees. While STEM advantage
significantly impacts observed gender gaps in STEM enrollment, this effect is primarily driven
by males.

Note: 
Length: 34
Creation-Date: 2025-01
Revision-Date: 
File-URL: https://www.crctr224.de/research/discussion-papers/archive/dp633
File-Format: application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:CRCTR224_2025_633