Digital edition · September 2026

Access to Opportunity in the Sciences

Evidence from the Nobel Laureates

Paul Novosad Dartmouth College
Sam Asher Imperial College London
Catriona Farquharson Harvard University
Eni Iljazi UPenn Wharton

Abstract

We study the socioeconomic origins of Nobel laureates in the sciences from 1901–2023, proxied by father occupations. The average laureate grew up in a household at the 87th income and 89th education percentile in their country, and at the 94th percentile globally. Within-country ranks fell over the sample period, suggesting broader access to opportunity in the sciences. Global ranks declined only marginally. U.S.-raised laureates came from more humble backgrounds than those raised elsewhere and female laureates had more educated fathers. Laureates whose fathers were academics, engineers, or physicians disproportionately win prizes in their fathers' fields.

This chart shows every Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, medicine and economics from 1901 to 2023, arranged by the year it was awarded.

Each dot is one prize winner. This is Jennifer Doudna, who shared the 2020 prize in chemistry for developing CRISPR gene editing.

The height of each dot shows how well-off the winner's father was, based on his occupation, compared with everyone else in the same country. A dot at 90 means his job paid more than 90% of jobs in that country. More than 65% of laureates grew up in households in the top 10%.

When we take country income into account, laureates are even more elite, because there are very few laureates from poor countries.