The Diversity Paradox: Evidence from College Coeducation

How novel ideas are adopted and recognized is crucial to scientific progress, but not all ideas from all groups are equally recognized. This paper studies whether and how increasing gender diversity at universities may lead to greater inclusion and recognition of research traditionally associated with women. Leveraging the transitions to coeducation of 88 all-male universities and novel text-based measures of research content, we show that coeducation led to overall modest shifts toward female-associated research. This aggregate effect masks substantial heterogeneity across fields: in disciplines with higher early female representation, we observe a pronounced increase in female-associated research driven by both existing faculty and new entrants. Male-dominated fields, by contrast, exhibit little change or even declines in female-associated research, primarily due to changes in hiring practices. These findings highlight that while diversity can foster innovation, its effects may only be concentrated in areas already receptive to the new perspectives.