Going to an Elite College Matters for Women, But Not Men

  • Female selective school grads saw 14 percent earnings bump
  • They also marry later and pick spouses from similar schools
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg
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Going to an elite college boosts women’s earning power, but not men’s, according to a new study that looked at data from students who graduated decades ago.

Female graduates from elite schools made 14 percent more than women with comparable entrance-exam scores who attended less selective schools, researchers at the University of Virginia and Tulane University said in a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Men, however, earned roughly the same regardless.