Preferences, Access, and the STEM Gender Gap in Centralized High School Assignment
利用墨西哥城高中集中分配数据和结构模型，发现STEM性别差距主要源于男生对STEM的更强偏好，而基于测试的准入机制进一步限制了女生进入精英STEM项目。
The gender gap in STEM widens during high school due both to differences in student choices and institutional barriers to accessing STEM education. Using rich data from Mexico City's centralized assignment system and a structural model of high school choice, we document strong demand for elite STEM programs and relatively weak demand for non-elite STEM programs. Decomposition and counterfactual simulations demonstrate that most of the gap is due to gendered choices, with males more strongly preferring STEM. Test-based assignment restricts elite STEM access for females, who have lower placement test scores despite similar low-stakes exam scores.