A new report pushes back on the argument that the significant disparity in wages paid to men and women is due to women's life choices.

The fact that women in the U.S. only make 78 percent as much as men cannot solely be attributed to life choices, including leaving the workforce to raise children, says a study authored by the American Association of University Women.

The study points out that one year after graduation from college, women make 18 percent less than male peers of the same education level and work experience. That is partially due to the fact that more women go into fields that do not promise high pay, such as teaching, but the report claims that even when such factors are controlled for, women make 7 percent less in exactly the same jobs as men fresh out of college.