Applied Economics Teaching Resources

an AAEA Journal

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Research Article

Outstanding Seniors: Where Have All the Young Men Gone?

Paul Wilson(a) and Na Zuo(a)
(a)University of Arizona

JEL Codes: A22, Q10
Keywords: Gender Gap, Outstanding Seniors, Undergraduate Education

Publish Date: December 17, 2019
Volume 1, Issue 2

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Abstract

The gender gap reversal in higher education, first noted in the early 1980s, has evolved into an educational policy issue due to its persistence. We explore the gender gap among outstanding graduating seniors within a college of agriculture and life sciences. Our investigation found a predominance of female outstanding seniors in the college, including in STEM-like, male-dominated academic majors. We attribute this significant gender gap to national behavioral trends (e.g., male disadvantages in non-cognitive skills) and to organizational changes within the college.

About the Author(s): Paul N. Wilson is an University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona (Corresponding author: paulwilson4872@gmail.com). Na Zuo is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona. Acknowledgements: The authors wish to thank Danielle Buhrow, Marshall Frazier, James Hunt, Cecilia Mazon, Michael Martin, and Kyle Sharp for their valuable assistance with data recovery, analytical insights, and challenging discussions.

Copyright is governed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA

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