#12330. Same major, same economic returns? College selectivity and earnings inequality in young adulthood

July 2026publication date
Proposal available till 29-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

The title of the journal is available only for the authors who have already paid for
Journal’s subject area:
Demography;
Sociology and Political Science;
Geography, Planning and Development;
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Abstract:
Fields of study are a persistent source of inequality among college graduates in the U.S. We focus on inequality in higher education and college selectivity to examine how young adult earnings are stratified among college graduates who majored in the same fields. We also assess gender differences in the relationships between fields of study, college selectivity, and earnings, given that gender is a consistent predictor of both majors and earnings. After accounting for selection bias using propensity score matching techniques, we find that recent college graduates in only two majors—business and the social sciences—experience a selectivity premium. Additionally, we find key gender differences in the majors that give rise to these premiums. Both men and women experience a selectivity premium in business and the social sciences, but within STEM fields, men benefit from a prestigious degree, but women do not. This finding underscores that high-performing men in STEM fields receive outsized rewards relative to their women counterparts, thus deepening gender inequality in fields where women are underrepresented and assigned low expectations for performance.
Keywords:
Economic returns to education; Fields of study; Gender; Higher education; Inequality

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