Diverging pathways: first-year college courses and the gender gap in STEM degree attainment

Abstract Gender differences in occupational plans in high school are an important predictor of the low representation of women among degree recipients in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Yet even among STEM-aspiring students, women are substantially less likely than men to obtain a STEM degree. Building on the educational literature on “curricular momentum” and recent evidence of the social and academic contexts of STEM introductory courses, this paper sheds light on the role played by first-year college courses in the diverging career pathways of men and women. Drawing on detailed transcript information of a nationally representative sample of US college students, we demonstrate that the proportion of STEM courses college students take during their first year and the gendered association between these courses and attainment are key explanations of gender differences in STEM degree attainment. Among students with similar STEM plans, men take a higher proportion of STEM courses than women, contributing to their advantage in STEM attainment. Even more consequential is the gendered association between STEM courses and degree attainment. The proportion of STEM courses in the first year of college is more predictive of men’s attainment than women’s, especially among STEM-oriented students. These findings suggest colleges should look closely at the courses men and women take in their first year and ensure the institutional and social contexts of introductory STEM courses allow all students to pursue their aspirations.