Data from the Beijing College Students Panel Survey (BCSPS) reveals another interesting phenomenon: Liberal arts students tend to be women from well-off families, while STEM students are more likely to be men from poorer households. Overall, female university students tend to come from better-off families than their male counterparts, regardless of their chosen major. According to the study, more of Beijing’s female students hailed from the city than their male counterparts, who were, in turn, more likely to come from the countryside. Female university students also tended to come from families with higher household incomes, parental education levels, and so-called cultural capital — that is to say, they expose their children to more literature, poetry, art, and other cultural artifacts.

There is little evidence to suggest that parents pay attention to their child’s gender when funding their education. Over the last few decades, the prevalence of single-child households in China has made parents less likely to favor boys over girls when it comes to their children’s studies. Indeed, the majority of Chinese students in the U.K. are enrolled in postgraduate courses, a trend that signals their parents’ willingness to invest in higher education. But does parents’ readiness to send their daughters abroad also herald growing domestic support for gender equality?

Every year, 3 million children in rural China drop out before reaching middle school; two-thirds of them are girls. Many families can’t afford tuition fees...and those who can often prioritize their sons’ education.