Genetic associations with educational fields
Educational field choices shape careers, wellbeing and the societal skill distribution, yet genetic influences on what people study remain poorly understood. Here we show that genetic factors are associated with educational field specializations using genome-wide association studies (GWASs) across 463,134 individuals from Finland, Norway and the Netherlands (effective n between 40,072 and 317,209). We identified 17 independent genome-wide significant variants linked to 7 of 10 educational fields, with average heritability of 7%. The genetic signal is specific to field choice rather than educational level, persisting after controlling for years of schooling and confounding factors. By examining genetic clustering across specializations, we uncovered two key dimensions: technical versus social and practical versus abstract. We performed GWASs of these components and demonstrated distinct genetic correlations with personality, behavior and socioeconomic status. Our findings demonstrate that genomic research can illuminate 'horizontal' stratification, revealing insights into vocational interests and social sorting beyond traditional attainment measures.
Authors
- Eivind Ystrøm (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4390-6171)
- Qi Qin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4241-0724)
- Agnes Fauske (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0134-9960)
- Abdel Abdellaoui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1088-6784)
- Torkild Hovde Lyngstad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7830-9305)
- Ziada Ayorech (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8372-421X)
- Alexandra Havdahl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9268-0423)
- Espen Moen Eilertsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3444-4251)
- Hannu Lahtinen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0910-823X)
- Perline Demange (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7061-8354)
- Rosa Cheesman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6543-0402)
- Andrea Ganna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8147-240X)
- Sjoerd van Alten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0602-8760)
- Ralph P. O. Porneso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9659-525X)
- Ville Anapaz
- Joakim Coleman Ebeltoft
Institutions
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- University of Oslo (NO)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- Lovisenberg Diakonale Høgskole (NO)
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FI)
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
- Institute for Church, Religion, and Worldview Research (NO)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Genetics
- Published
- 2025-11-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02391-z
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.24
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers
- European Commission
- Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Jacobs Foundation
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen
- Norges Forskningsråd
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme