Search Results

Author: Astorne-Figari, Carmen
Resulting in 2 citations.
1. Astorne-Figari, Carmen
Speer, Jamin D.
Are Changes of Major Major Changes? The Roles of Grades, Gender, and Preferences in College Major Switching
Economics of Education Review 70 (June 2019): 75-93.
Also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775718304680
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Elsevier
Keyword(s): College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Gender Differences; Grade Point Average (GPA)/Grades; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

The choice of college major is a key stage in the career search, and over a third of college students switch majors at least once. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of major switching, looking at the patterns of switching in both academic and non-academic dimensions. Low grades signal academic mismatch and predict switching majors - and the lower the grades, the larger the switch in terms of course content. Surprisingly, these switches do not improve students' grades. When students switch majors, they switch to majors that "look like them": females to female-heavy majors, and so on. Lower-ability women flee competitive majors at high rates, while men and higher-ability women are undeterred. Women are far more likely to leave STEM fields for majors that are less competitive -- but still somewhat science-intensive -- suggesting that leaving STEM may be more about fleeing the "culture" of STEM majors than fleeing science and math.
Bibliography Citation
Astorne-Figari, Carmen and Jamin D. Speer. "Are Changes of Major Major Changes? The Roles of Grades, Gender, and Preferences in College Major Switching." Economics of Education Review 70 (June 2019): 75-93.
2. Astorne-Figari, Carmen
Speer, Jamin D.
Drop Out, Switch Majors, or Persist? The Contrasting Gender Gaps
Economics Letters 164 (March 2018): 82-85.
Also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165176518300107
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Elsevier
Keyword(s): College Dropouts; College Enrollment; College Graduates; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Gender Differences; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Men and women respond differently to early-college struggles. Men are more likely than women to drop out of college, while women are more likely to switch majors. These effects offset so that there is no gender gap in the probability of graduating in one's initial major choice. For students who begin in STEM majors, however, women are far less likely to graduate in the field, driven by the fact that they are twice as likely to switch majors. We find no evidence that women are more sensitive to poor academic performance in the switching or dropout decisions.
Bibliography Citation
Astorne-Figari, Carmen and Jamin D. Speer. "Drop Out, Switch Majors, or Persist? The Contrasting Gender Gaps." Economics Letters 164 (March 2018): 82-85.