E D U C AT I O N

CURRENT GENDER STATUS STE

M Fields

NATIONAL EDUCATION TRENDS

About 20.1 million women have bachelor's degrees, compared to nearly 18.7 million men.

Among adults 25 and older, 10.6 million U.S. women have master's degrees or higher, compared to 10.5 million men.

Measured by shares, about 10.2 percent of women have advanced degrees compared to 10.9 percent of men (AP, 2011).

WOMEN IN THE STEM FIELDSHAVE WE MADE PROGRESS?

SECONDARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Good News

Girls are earning high school math and science credits at the same rate as boys

Girls are earning slightly higher grades in these classes

Since the early 1980s the ratio of boys to girls in this extremely select group has dramatically declined from 13:1 to around 3:1 in recent years

Bad News Fewer girls than boys take advanced

placement (AP) exams in STEM-related subjects such as calculus, physics, computer science, and chemistry

Girls who take STEM AP exams earn lower scores than boys earn on average

A small gender gap persists on the mathematics section of the SAT and the ACT examinations

Students from historically disadvantaged, both female and male, are less likely to have access to advanced courses in math and science in high school, which negatively affects their ability to enter and successfully complete STEM majors in college ((Hill, Corbett, & St.

Rose , 2010).)

POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Although women are the majority of college students, they are far less likely than their male peers to plan to major in a STEM field

Almost one-third of all male freshmen (29 percent), compared with only 15 percent of all female freshmen, planned to major in a STEM field in 2006

Female and male first- year STEM majors are equally likely to have taken and earned high grades in the prerequisite math and science classes in high school and to have confidence in their math and science abilities

More women leave STEM majors early on in their college careers than men

In 2006, women earned almost one-half of the doctorates in the biological and agricultural sciences; around one-third of the doctorates in earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences, chemistry, and math; and approximately one-fifth of the doctorates in computer science, engineering, and physics.

(Hill, Corbett, & St. Rose , 2010)

Biological Sciences Computer Science Elecrical Engineering Physics0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

50000

WomenMen

W O M E N E A R N E D 4 8 , 0 0 1 B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E D E G R E E S I N 2 0 0 7 , C O M P A R E D W I T H O N L Y 7 , 9 4 4 C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E D E G R E E S , 2 , 1 0 9 E L E C T R I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G D E G R E E S , A N D 1 , 0 2 4 P H Y S I C S D E G R E E S .

I N C O M P A R I S O N , M E N E A R N E D 3 1 , 3 4 7 B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E D E G R E E S , 3 4 , 6 5 2 C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E D E G R E E S , 1 6 , 4 3 8 E L E C T R I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G D E G R E E S , A N D 3 , 8 4 6 P H Y S I C S D E G R E E S . ( H I L L , C O R B E T T , & S T . R O S E , 2 0 1 0 )

NUMBER OF DEGREES BY STEM FIELD

WHERE ARE THE LADIES AT!?FEMALE EMPLOYMENT IN STEM FIELDS

1 9 6 0 - 2 0 0 0 ( H I L L , C O R B E T T , & S T . R O S E ,

2 0 1 0 )

PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN EMPLOYED IN STEM PROFESSIONS,

WHY SO FEW?

Three major issues:The belief that men are mathematically

superior and better suited for STEM fields Cognitive gender differences

Girls’ are not interested in STEMThe atmosphere in STEM workplaces

Issues including bias and work-life balance

(Hill, Corbett, & St. Rose , 2010)

EIGHT BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

Beliefs about IntelligenceStereotypesSpatial SkillsThe College Student ExperienceUniversity and College FacultyImplicit BiasWorkplace Bias

(Hill, Corbett, & St. Rose , 2010)

“Although women now comprise 56% of the college population nationwide,

women are still significantly underrepresented in decision-making

positions in academe; they also continue to earn far lower salaries in the corporate world.  There has never been a more important moment for placing women and gender at the center of the academic enterprise

(Texas Christian University, 2014).”