Primary and Secondary Effects of Gender on Educational Attainment: Toward a Better Understanding of the Academic Underachievement of Boys

Gender segregation in the labor market is closely related to gender-segregated educational choices. Male- and female-typed fields of study are typically associated with different educational requirements. Educational and occupational aspirations may therefore influence how boys and girls invest in education. The author investigates how gender-typed occupational aspirations and gender differences in educational expectations may help explain the gender gaps in academic performance and educational attainment in Norway. Educational attainment among 1,076 youth born in 1992 is examined using a longitudinal survey linked to register data. The findings show that educational expectations and male-typed occupational aspirations explain about one third of the gender gap in grade point average in 10th grade. Moreover, comparing boys and girls with similar grade point averages, expectations and aspirations account for 52 percent of the gender gap in college completion by 28 years of age. Notably, having male-typed occupational aspirations alone explain 37 percent to 43 percent of the gap, depending on whether educational expectations are accounted for.