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Education and the Gender Gap in U.S. Presidential Elections. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1152

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Title: Education and the Gender Gap in U.S. Presidential Elections. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1152
Language: English
Authors: Cameron J. Arnzen (ORCID 0000-0001-9076-2655), Sarah R. Cohodes (ORCID 0000-0002-7921-7020), Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 45
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Longitudinal Studies, Voting, Elections, Citizen Participation, Sex, Gender Differences, Educational Attainment, Educational Trends, College Entrance Examinations, College Preparation, Role of Education
Geographic Terms: Massachusetts
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, SAT (College Admission Test), ACT Assessment
Abstract: Women in the United States have outpaced men in both voter participation and educational attainment in recent decades. Since education is closely tied to political participation, we consider these trends in tandem and assess how much of the gender gap in voting is attributable to educational attainment as opposed to cognitive skills, noncognitive skills, college preparation behaviors, and demographics. Using comprehensive educational data from Massachusetts students matched with voter records, we estimate a Blinder-Oaxaca-Kitagawa decomposition to understand how these factors contribute to gender voting differentials. In our data, young women outvote young men by 5.8 percentage points in the first presidential election in which they can vote after having potentially completed college. We find that just under 50 percent of this gap in voting can be explained by differences in educational attainment and civic returns to attainment by gender. If we also consider gender differences in college preparation, we explain two-thirds of the gender gap in voting. These results suggest that a significant portion of the gender gap in voting can be attributed to the rise in women's education.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED678183
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
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  Data: Women in the United States have outpaced men in both voter participation and educational attainment in recent decades. Since education is closely tied to political participation, we consider these trends in tandem and assess how much of the gender gap in voting is attributable to educational attainment as opposed to cognitive skills, noncognitive skills, college preparation behaviors, and demographics. Using comprehensive educational data from Massachusetts students matched with voter records, we estimate a Blinder-Oaxaca-Kitagawa decomposition to understand how these factors contribute to gender voting differentials. In our data, young women outvote young men by 5.8 percentage points in the first presidential election in which they can vote after having potentially completed college. We find that just under 50 percent of this gap in voting can be explained by differences in educational attainment and civic returns to attainment by gender. If we also consider gender differences in college preparation, we explain two-thirds of the gender gap in voting. These results suggest that a significant portion of the gender gap in voting can be attributed to the rise in women's education.
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  Data: ED678183
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 45
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      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Voting
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      – SubjectFull: Elections
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      – SubjectFull: Sex
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      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
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      – SubjectFull: Role of Education
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      – SubjectFull: Massachusetts
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      – SubjectFull: SAT (College Admission Test)
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      – SubjectFull: ACT Assessment
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      – TitleFull: Education and the Gender Gap in U.S. Presidential Elections. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1152
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