Women continue to be underrepresented in mathematically intensive majors like economics in the US. This column examines whether women’s colleges, and in particular Wellesley College, affect choice of major. Women who are accepted to Wellesley and choose to enroll there are about 81% more likely to major in economics than those who choose to enroll elsewhere. The authors attribute some of this ‘Wellesley effect’ to the fact that women make up more of the faculty in economics at Wellesley than at other institutions that Wellesley-admitted students attend. These results strongly suggest that the environment affects major choice.

Related Keywords

United States , Colorado , Chicago , Illinois , American , A Sasser Modestino , Janet Yellen , Wellesley College , Summer Institute , Impact Of The American Economic Association , American Economic Association Papers , Economics Department , Brookings Institution , Peterson Institute For International Economics , Public Health , University Of Colorado , Supreme Court , Stanford University , Women In Federal Reserve System Economic Research , Federal Reserve Bank , Wellesley College Applicants , National Student Clearing House , Federal Reserve System , Central Banking , Federal Reserve System Economic Research , Fed Chair , Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen , Historically Black Colleges , Annual Review , Economic Perspectives , Economics Discussion Series , Federal Reserve , Learning Environment , Diverse Students , Introductory Economics , Growth Mindsets , American Economic Association , Education Review , Economic Journal , Applied Economics , Economic Review , Sasser Modestino , Seminar Dynamics Collective , Identity Online , Beth Nguyen , Political Economy , International Economics , Institution Report , Economic Association Papers ,