Academic Performance and Single-Sex Schooling: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Switzerland

We study the effects of random assignment to coeducational and single-sex classes on the academic performance of female high school students. Our estimation results show that single-sex schooling improves the performance of female students in mathematics. This positive effect increases if the single-sex class is taught by a male teacher. An accompanying survey reveals that single-sex schooling also strengthens female students ’ self-confidence and renders the self-assessment of their mathematics skills more level-headed. Single-sex schooling thus has profound implications for human capital formation and the mind-set of female students. (JEL I21, J16) Gender gaps in academic performance, especially in mathematics, continue to be observed worldwide (Guiso, Monte, Sapienza, and Zingales, 2008; Else-Quest, Hyde, and Linn, 2010). Since low achievement in mathematics may discourage women from pursuing a career in high-paying occupational field