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Brains or beauty? Causal evidence on the returns to education and attractiveness in the online dating market

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  • Egebark, Johan
  • Ekström, Mathias
  • Plug, Erik
  • van Praag, Mirjam

Abstract

We study partner preferences for education and attractiveness by conducting a field experiment in a large online dating market. Fictitious profiles with manipulated levels of education and photo attractiveness send random invitations for a serious relationship to real online daters. We find that men and women prefer attractive over unattractive profiles, regardless of own attractiveness. We also find that high-educated men prefer low-educated over high-educated profiles as much as high-educated women prefer high-educated over low-educated profiles. With preferences similar for attractiveness but opposite for education, two groups are more likely to stay single: unattractive, low-educated men and unattractive, high-educated women.

Suggested Citation

  • Egebark, Johan & Ekström, Mathias & Plug, Erik & van Praag, Mirjam, 2021. "Brains or beauty? Causal evidence on the returns to education and attractiveness in the online dating market," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:196:y:2021:i:c:s0047272721000086
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2021.104372
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