Do School Curricula Matter to Students in the Long Run?

Greater exposure to evolution teaching not only improves students’ knowledge of evolution by the time they graduate from high school, but it also enhances their belief in evolution in adulthood. What is more, the reforms affect high-stakes life decisions, namely the probability of choosing a career in life sciences. Reforms of the coverage of evolution in US education standards have a positive effect on students’ knowledge of evolution by the end of high school. These reforms translate into a greater belief in evolution in adulthood, without crowding out religiosity or affecting political attitudes. They also affect high-stakes life decisions, such as the probability of choosing a career in life sciences.