American Economic Review Vol. 115 No. 7 2025
Undergraduate Gender Diversity and the Direction of Scientific Research
Abstract
Can diversity lead to greater research focus on populations underrepresented in science? Between 1960 and 1990, 76 all-male US universities transitioned to coeducation. Using a generalized difference-in-differences design, we find that coeducation led to a 44 percent increase in gender-related research publications. This increase is driven by research focused on female subjects and gender differences. While coeducation led to a compositional shift with more women and researchers interested in gender topics, much of the increase comes from male incumbent researchers shifting their research focus toward gender-related topics. The results support interaction with more diverse students and peers as key underlying mechanisms.
- DOI
- 10.1257/aer.20221561
- Volume
- 115
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 2414-2448
- Language
- en
- Sources
- bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref