Which is more consequential: Fields of study or institutional selectivity?

Y Ma, G Savas - The Review of Higher Education, 2014 - muse.jhu.edu
Y Ma, G Savas
The Review of Higher Education, 2014muse.jhu.edu
The persisting gender pay gap favoring men among college graduates is a puzzle given
women's remarkable success in postsecondary education. This article examines income
disparities among recent college graduates by intersecting gender and social class and
evaluating the relative importance of fields of study and institutional selectivity. Data from
National Education Longitudinal Studies: 88–2000 and its postsecondary transcript data
show that women reap less earnings advantage from selective institutions but similar …
Abstract
The persisting gender pay gap favoring men among college graduates is a puzzle given women’s remarkable success in postsecondary education. This article examines income disparities among recent college graduates by intersecting gender and social class and evaluating the relative importance of fields of study and institutional selectivity. Data from National Education Longitudinal Studies: 88–2000 and its postsecondary transcript data show that women reap less earnings advantage from selective institutions but similar advantages from lucrative fields compared to men. Our within-gender analysis shows that lucrative fields of study can offset the earnings disadvantages associated with less privileged social class and attending nonselective institutions for women, but not for men.
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