Women Select College Majors with Lower Pay.

Even when both male and female college students say they want to pursue a major with the best earnings prospects, the majors men choose are higher paying than those women select, maintains an Ohio State University study published in Sociology of Education.

"Even when women place great emphasis on earnings, other preferences may ultimately win out for them," says Natasha Quadlin, assistant professor of sociology, who notes that one possible competing preference is finding a field that is a good fit.

Quadlin used data from the Pathways through College Study, which surveyed students from three higher education institutions that had programs intended to attract and retain STEM majors. "The pattern was clear: the majors men choose are associated with significantly higher earning than the majors women choose--regardless of men's and women's major preferences."

Even when men and women prioritized other preferences for their major--such as helping people--men still chose higher-paying majors, the findings showed...