Although women are underrepresented in the most mathematically intensive fields, the gender gap in these fields has narrowed over the past 2 decades. In my E. L. Thorndike address I summarized the temporal trends in sex differences for 8 fields and considered factors that drive both the underrepresentation of women and its recent narrowing. I…

This study suggests that student's choice of undergraduate major depends on various factors. Allowing for recent trends toward accounting and business administration, results indicate that earnings differentials and differences in the rate of change in earnings are among important factors in the student's decision. (Author/LC)