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Gender ratios at top PhD programs in economics

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  • Galina Hale
  • Tali Regev

Abstract

Analyzing university faculty and graduate student data for the top-ten U.S. economics departments between 1987 and 2007, we find that there are persistent differences in gender composition for both faculty and graduate students across institutions and that the share of female faculty and the share of women in the entering PhD class are positively correlated. We find, using instrumental variables analysis, robust evidence that this correlation is driven by the causal effect of the female faculty share on the gender composition of the entering PhD class. This result provides an explanation for persistent underrepresentation of women in economics, as well as for persistent segregation of women across academic fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Galina Hale & Tali Regev, 2011. "Gender ratios at top PhD programs in economics," Working Paper Series 2011-19, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedfwp:2011-19
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    2. Sierminska, Eva & Oaxaca, Ronald L., 2022. "Gender differences in economics PhD field specializations with correlated choices," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Gaule, Patrick & Piacentini, Mario, 2017. "An Advisor Like Me? Advisor Gender and Post-Graduate Careers in Science," IZA Discussion Papers 10828, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Yihui Lan & Kenneth W Clements & Zong Ken Chai, 2022. "Australian PhDs in Economics and Finance: Professional Activities, Productivity and Prospects," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 22-04, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    5. Joyce J. Chen & Daniel Crown, 2019. "The Gender Pay Gap in Academia: Evidence from the Ohio State University," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 101(5), pages 1337-1352, October.
    6. Zacchia, Giulia, 2016. "Segregation or homologation? Gender differences in recent Italian economic thought," MPRA Paper 72279, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. John P. Conley & Ali Sina Önder & Benno Torgler, 2016. "Are all economics graduate cohorts created equal? Gender, job openings, and research productivity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(2), pages 937-958, August.
    8. Bottan, Daria & McKee, Douglas & Orlov, George & McDougall, Anna, 2022. "Racial and gender achievement gaps in an economics classroom," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    9. Manuel Bagues & Mauro Sylos-Labini & Natalia Zinovyeva, 2017. "Does the Gender Composition of Scientific Committees Matter?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(4), pages 1207-1238, April.
    10. Anne Boring, 2015. "Gender Biases in student evaluations of teachers," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2015-13, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    11. Leah Boustan & Andrew Langan, 2019. "Variation in Women's Success across PhD Programs in Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(1), pages 23-42, Winter.
    12. Jihui Chen & Qihong Liu & Myongjin Kim, 2022. "Gender gap in tenure and promotion: Evidence from the economics Ph.D. class of 2008," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(4), pages 1277-1312, April.
    13. Gaule, Patrick & Piacentini, Mario, 2018. "An advisor like me? Advisor gender and post-graduate careers in science," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 805-813.
    14. Diouf, Ibrahima & Pépin, Dominique, 2017. "Gender and central banking," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 193-206.
    15. Slade, Peter, 2013. "Gender and Academic Hiring: Evidence from a Two-Sided Matching Model," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150803, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Ann Mari May & Mary G. McGarvey & Muazzam Toshmatova, 2024. "Gender differences in graduate student views on the professional climate in economics," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 42(2), pages 206-222, April.
    17. Becker, Charles M. & Rouse, Cecilia Elena & Chen, Mingyu, 2016. "Can a summer make a difference? The impact of the American Economic Association Summer Program on minority student outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 46-71.
    18. Ali Sina Önder & Sascha Schweitzer, 2017. "Catching up or falling behind? Promising changes and persistent patterns across cohorts of economics PhDs in German-speaking countries from 1991 to 2008," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(3), pages 1297-1331, March.
    19. Sarah F. Small, 2023. "Infusing Diversity in a History of Economic Thought Course: An Archival Study of Syllabi and Resources for Redesign," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 276-311, June.
    20. Weeden, Kim & Thèbaud, Sarah & Gelbgiser, Dafna, 2017. "Degrees of Difference: Gender Segregation of U.S. Doctorates by Field and Program Prestige," OSF Preprints 9k6tv, Center for Open Science.
    21. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/1seuirq4ak9b9bouu1j29ebui7 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Jaque Herrera, Gabriela & Cárdenas-Retamal, Roberto & Barrales Henriquez, Daniel, 2022. "Tendencias en Publicaciones en Revistas Chilenas de Economía," Documentos de Trabajo 12, Estudios Nueva Economía.
    23. Diouf, Ibrahima & Pépin, Dominique, 2017. "Gender and central banking," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 193-206.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics - Study and teaching; Universities and colleges; Economists;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions

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