The effect of single-sex secondary schooling on women's choice of college major

This study examines the effect of attending an all-girls' high school on the sex-traditionality of women's choice of college major. Using data from the High School and Beyond study and multinomial logit analysis, the results indicate that women who attended all-girls' high schools (versus coed high schools) were more likely to major in sex-integrated fields, compared to highly female fields. The effect may be due in small part to feminist attitudes produced in an all-female high school environment but is not due to differences in coursework (particularly math) or test scores.