Undergraduate Gender Diversity and the Direction of Scientific Research
American Economic Review · 2025 · Volume 115 · Issue 7
Abstract
Can diversity lead to greater research focus on populations under-represented in science? Between 1960 and 1990, 76 all-male US universities transitioned to coeducation. Using a generalized difference-in-differences design, we find that coeducation led to a 44 percent increase in gender-related research publications. This increase is driven by research focused on female subjects and gender differences. While coeducation led to a compositional shift with more women and researchers interested in gender topics, much of the increase comes from male incumbent researchers shifting their research focus toward gender-related topics. The results support interaction with more diverse students and peers as key underlying mechanisms.
Keywords
Higher Education, Research Institutions, Economics of Gender, Non-labor Discrimination, Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives, Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
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