STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) enrolments in higher education are declining while the STEM gender gap of female underrepresentation seems to widen. The present study addresses both issues by exploring how the fit between a student's vocational interests and the STEM field contributes to a (non-) STEM study choice. Data was collected in the unique setting of an open access and low cost higher education system, which allowed for study of vocational interests without unwanted influence of admission conditions. Specifically, we assessed the interest fit of N = 9162 first-year Belgian university students with (1) the STEM field (i.e., STEM fit) and (2) their specific program of choice (i.e., program fit). Results indicated STEM fit indeed predicted STEM study choice, with a stronger effect in female students. Results also indicated that female students showed a better specific program fit. In order to promote student STEM enrolment and address the gender gap, the present study therefore advocates a gender-specific approach to attract more students with appropriate interest profiles.

高等教育中的 STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）入学率正在下降，而女性代表人数不足的 STEM 性别差距似乎正在扩大。本研究通过探索学生的职业兴趣与 STEM 领域之间的契合如何促成（非）STEM 学习选择来解决这两个问题。数据是在开放获取和低成本的高等教育系统的独特环境中收集的，这允许研究职业兴趣，而不会受到入学条件的不利影响。具体来说，我们评估了N = 9162 名一年级比利时大学生，具有 (1) STEM 领域（即 STEM 适合）和 (2) 他们选择的特定课程（即课程适合）。结果表明 STEM 拟合确实预测了 STEM 学习选择，对女学生的影响更大。结果还表明，女学生表现出更好的特定课程适合度。为了促进学生 STEM 入学并解决性别差距，本研究因此提倡一种针对特定性别的方法来吸引更多具有适当兴趣的学生。