Explaining sex differences in educational choice - An empirical assessmentof a rational choice model

Sex segregation with regard to choice of type of education, or educational programme, is persistently high in Sweden, while men and women nowadays rea ch similar levels of education. In order to explain this phenomenon, a rati onal choice model is proposed in which sex-specific comparative advantages in different fields of study are in focus. Such relative advantages in sex- typical areas of study are hypothesized to influence educational choices th rough their effects on the expected probabilities of success in different s tudy programmes. The theoretical model explains sex differences very well w hen judged against aggregate data, but empirical analyses on micro-level da ta are less supportive of the underlying hypothesis. While indicators of bo th absolute and relative school achievements are powerful predictors of edu cational choice, boys and girls with similar 'ability profiles' largely fol low sex-typical. choice patterns. Comparative advantages may 'account for' 10 to 30 per cent of the sex effect on educational choice at the upper seco ndary level of education in Sweden. The paper concludes with a short discus sion of alternative explanations.