University fees and the demand for STEM degrees

Abstract

The 2006 increase in university tuition in the U.K. was followed by a 3-4% reduction in the proportion of students choosing stem degrees, due either to a change in the composition of students, or to similar students selecting away from stem subjects. This paper tests the latter hypothesis, estimating the effect of the fees for comparable students using propensity score matching on a rich set of covariates. Results suggest that the change was entirely driven by compositional changes.