Math-oriented fields of study and the race gap in graduation likelihoods at elite colleges

•We assess whether, and to what extent, students' field of study contributes to race disparities in bachelor's degree.•We find that fields of study influence the graduation likelihoods of all students.•Students in math-oriented fields are less likely to graduate.•Yet black students in math-oriented fields are especially disadvantaged relative to white students.•This asymmetry increases the overall race gap in degree attainment at elite colleges.

This study examines the relationship between chosen field of study and the race gap in college completion among students at elite colleges. Fields of study are characterized by varying institutional arrangements, which impact the academic performance of students in higher education. If the effect of fields on graduation likelihoods is unequal across racial groups, then this may account for part of the overall race gap in college completion. Results from a large sample of students attending elite colleges confirm that fields of study influence the graduation likelihoods of all students, above and beyond factors such as students’ academic and social backgrounds. This effect, however, is asymmetrical: relative to white students, the negative effect of the institutional arrangements of math-oriented fields on graduation likelihood is greater for black students. Therefore, the race gap is larger within math-oriented fields than in other fields, which contributes to the overall race gap in graduation likelihoods at these selective colleges. These results indicate that a nontrivial share of the race gap in college completion is generated after matriculation, by the environments that students encounter in college. Consequently, policy interventions that target field of study environments can substantially mitigate racial disparities in college graduation rates.