Studienfachwahl MINT durch Frauen – Einfluß von Leistung in Mathematik, Lebenszielen und familialem Hintergrund (Women studying STEM: the influence of the performances in mathematics, life goals and family background)

Our analyses of the university study choices of boys and girls in Germany of data from the NEPS Starting Cohort from the year 2011 reveal a large gender gap of 22 percent points, whereby girls less often than boys opt for a STEM-oriented study program. Our analyses display that the gender gap in STEM choice can hardly be explained by gender differences in absolute math grades, given practical absence of gender differences herein. The gender STEM gap could better (overall with a size of 23 per cent) be attributed to differences in relative math grades (math grades compared to grade in German language). This can be explained by (a) greater gender differences in relative math grades (where girls show better language than math scores and boys better math than language scores), and (b) a relatively larger impact of relative than absolute math grades on the probability of choosing a STEM major. Especially, the gender gap in the university program ‘mathematics/science’ could be attributed by the relative math scores at secondary school. Boys and girls scoring relatively well in math at secondary school, choose for ‘mathematics/science’ as a university major to practically the same extent.