This dissertation examines two key axes of inequality in higher education -- gender and socioeconomic status (SES) -- in terms of differences in college persistence and college major using the nationally-representative High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. While gender differences in terms of STEM majors has been oft-studied, this dissertation contributes to this body of literature by advancing Health & Social Sciences (HSS) majors as a separate category and examining the ways in which men and women may be sorted into these different types of major before and during college, despite the strong overlap in science and math related content. The second study introduces the main theoretical contribution of this dissertation by examining differences in college persistence between first- and continuing-generation students through a field-specific cultural capital lens, documenting the way in which continuing generation students' college-specific cultural capital (most notably in the form of seeking academic help) facilitates their higher persistence rates. The final study documents the way in which STEM-specific cultural capital, passed down by parents with STEM degrees, assists in persistence in STEM fields, bringing together the theoretical and topical contributions of the previous two studies. Throughout, recommendations are made on how institutions can change to better serve women and lower-SES students generally and specifically in STEM fields. Recommendations include framing course (particularly STEM) content in terms relevant to students' lives, training for faculty and staff on how to communicate with students in an accessible way, and de-stigmatizing the use of support services. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]