Information intervention on long-term earnings prospects and the gender gap in major choice.

This article examines the impact of an information intervention on high school seniors in Berlin, Germany, providing data on the costs and economic returns of tertiary education and earnings prospects across different study fields. The randomized field experiment involving 1,036 students from less privileged backgrounds found that the intervention increased enrollment in financially more rewarding majors for both female and male students. Specifically, women reduced their enrollment in lower-paid care/social fields and shifted toward other non-technical, higher-earning fields, while men increased their enrollment in technical, male-dominated fields with above-average earnings. However, the intervention had limited effect on reducing the overall gender-typicality of study choices, as students tended to avoid gender-atypical fields despite financial incentives. The study highlights that while information on economic returns influences major selection, addressing gender segregation in education likely requires interventions that directly challenge gender stereotypes and cultural norms.