The Influence of School Background and Socioeconomic Status on the Gender Gap in Engineering

Abstract

This study analyzes the influence of secondary school background and, consequently, socioeconomic status on the gender gap within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs in Chile. Although women constitute the majority of higher education enrollment (55.4%), their presence in STEM fields remains below 30%, highlighting persistent vocational segregation. The research adopted a quantitative, exploratory, and longitudinal approach, utilizing the Higher Education Information Service (SIES) database for the period between 2007 and 2025. A total of 408 programs across 47 universities were analyzed using the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) and a multiple linear regression model to evaluate the impact of school origin on female participation in engineering careers. Results reveal a 67% increase in total STEM enrollment; however, female representation showed only moderate growth, rising from 17% in 2007 to 20.7% in 2025. The longitudinal analysis by school type indicates that private paid schools achieved the highest level of parity (GGGI = 0.46), while delegated administration institutions remain the most masculinized (GGGI = 0.35). The regression model confirmed that originating from municipal or delegated administration schools has a negative and statistically significant effect on the female participation index. It is concluded that while school origin is an influential factor, its low explanatory power regarding total variance (4.3%) suggests the existence of other structural and socioeconomic factors that must be addressed in future research to mitigate the gender gap in engineering