A recent study examining engineering students in Sweden reveals a significant shift in how student appearance affects academic performance. When education moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic, attractive female students saw their grades decline in non-quantitative subjects where teacher interaction was previously higher. However, the beauty premium for male students persisted even after the switch to remote teaching.

This suggests that while in-person interaction amplifies the attractiveness bias for women, discrimination remains a factor for men. The research, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, used data from engineering students and found that the effect was specific to courses with substantial teacher-student engagement. The study's findings underscore how remote instruction fundamentally alters evaluation dynamics, potentially leveling the playing field for students based on appearance.

This shift highlights the complex interplay between teaching formats and subjective biases in academic assessment.