Betsey Stevenson: Making Economics More Inclusive

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Economics departments are struggling to succeed in attracting a diverse group of students relative to other fields. Women are 56 percent of undergraduate student, yet only a third of economics majors. Hispanic students make up 17 percent of undergraduate students, yet only 9 percent of economics majors. And 14 percent of college students are black, but only 5 percent of economics majors are black. We can do more to teach economics in an inclusive matter, ensuring that a more diverse group of students understand the power of economics as a tool to make better decisions and understand the world around them. We'll go through the reasons for the lack of diversity and some proven solutions from other STEM fields to make economics a more inclusive field.