The End of a Gender Quota in Elite Higher Education: Women's Success, Behavioral Responses, and Consequences (with Georgia Thebault)

Draft Upon Request

Abstract: Women remain underrepresented in math-intensive fields, especially among the most competitive post-secondary institutions; this has long-run implications for not just economic, but also scientific outcomes. We show that a gender quota system could be an efficient solution to address this problem. We use hand-collected historical data from entrance exams for one of the most competitive elite graduate schools in France combined with a change in admissions policy that removed a strict gender quota system. We document that (i) the end of the quota led to a sharp fall in the share of admitted female students, but only in math-intensive fields; (ii) only about 50% of this fall can be explained by a gender performance gap at the entrance exams; the remaining is explained by (iii) a decrease in the share of female candidates taking the entrance exam; (iv) which is driven by a reduction of the share of potentially high-achieving female candidates. This reveals a detrimental shying-away mechanism for female students in mixed-sex competition in a real-life and significant context. As this elite university leads to high-level academic careers in France, we show that (v) the removal of the gender quota increased the gender gap in professorial and research careers for affected students.

Notice relative au traitement des données collectées dans le cadre de ce projet (ENS)

Competition Sticks! Gender Gap in Elite Higher Education STEM Programs (with Cécile Bonneau) 

Draft Upon Request

Abstract: Admission to elite higher education institutions often rely on competitive entrance examinations, which are presumed to measure students' abilities objectively. However, emerging evidence suggests a gender bias, with women frequently underperforming in high-stakes and competitive environments. This paper corroborates these findings within a highly selected group of elite STEM programs undergraduates in France. We extend our investigation beyond the effect of the high-stakes exam itself to consider the role of the learning environment for such high-stake exams on this gender performance gap. Our analysis reveals that heightened competitiveness in exam preparation exacerbates the gender performance gap by 15 to 25 percent, varying by specification. We also delve into a potential mechanism behind this widening gender disparity: the differential responsiveness to high-ability peers. These insights enhance our understanding of the gender gap in access to selective STEM higher education, which is particularly important in explaining the persistent gender pay gap at the top of the income distribution.

Notice relative au traitement des données collectées dans le cadre de ce projet (CPGE)

Absolute and Relative Rank Effects on Secondary and Higher Education Paths in France