WOMEN AND STEM
Where we stand from preK
through the workforce
WOMEN AND STEM
Where we stand from preK
through the workforce
OVERVIEW
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 15 of the 20 fastest-growing professions
in the United States are in STEM-related fields. However, we face a STEM shortage:
According to the National Science Board, only 16 percent of bachelor’s degrees
awarded are in STEM fields—and for every one unemployed worker seeking
employment in STEM, there are two openings.
To fill these gaps and maximize our workforce, we must focus specifically on young
women, who currently out-enroll men in colleges and universities but don’t enter
STEM fields at nearly the same rates. This persistent gender gap ultimately hurts
the quality of the workforce by excluding the opinions and ideas of a significant
portion of the population and exacerbating the shortage of STEM talent.
PREK–12 EDUCATION
The Facts
• Both girls and boys begin to view math as “for boys” by second grade (Slate, 2012).
• An analysis of studies analyzing math performance shows no discernible gender difference in ability
(Lindberg, 2010).
• On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam in science, boys outscore girls
by 2 points in fourth grade. By 12th grade, that margin widens to 6 points (U.S. Department of
Education, 2009).
Average NAEP Science Scale Scores, 2009
149
4th Grade
151
148
8th Grade
152
147
12th Grade
153
144
146
148
Girls
150
152
154
Boys
Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2009
• Overall, 72 percent of high school valedictorians are female (Subra Suresh, 2011).
• However, only 19 percent of 12th grade girls are considered proficient in science, compared to 26
percent of boys (U.S. Department of Education, 2009).
• On AP exams, boys out-enroll girls in physics, calculus and chemistry. In computer science, boys
out-enroll girls by a ratio of 4 to 1. Boys also outscore girls regularly, even in subjects in which girls
out-enroll boys (Robelen, 2012; Change the Equation & American Institutes of Research, 2012).
WOMEN AND STEM • 3
Average Scores of AP Test-Takers (scored on a scale of 1-5), by Gender, 2011
3.57
3.86
Calculus BC
2.49
Physics B
2.95
2.62
2.91
Statistics
2.43
Chemistry
2.91
2.53
Biology
2.84
0
1
2
Girls
3
4
Boys
Source: Robelen, 2011
Percentage of Students Enrolled in STEM AP Courses, by Gender, 2011
31
Physics
69
46
Chemistry
54
47
Calculus
54
18
Computer Science
82
58
Biology
42
0
20
40
Girls
60
80
100
Boys
Source: Robelen, 2011
WOMEN AND STEM • 4
Percentage of Students Taking and Scoring a 3+ AP Math Tests, by Gender, 2011
48
Taking AP Math
52
45
Scoring a 3+ in AP Math
55
0
25
Girls
50
75
100
Boys
Source: Change the Equation, 2012
Percentage of Students Taking and Scoring a 3+ AP Science Tests, by Gender, 2011
50
Taking AP Science
50
45
Scoring a 3+ in AP Science
52
0
25
Girls
50
75
100
Boys
Source: Change the Equation, 2012
Analysis
Despite no difference in ability, the STEM gender gap starts in elementary school, as girls begin to
internalize a message that math and science are not for them. The gap begins manifesting itself in
performance scores in the fourth grade. These internalized beliefs, largely created by cultural
expectations and societal structures, lead to larger performance gaps by eighth grade. These gaps
contribute to under-enrollment and performance in the rigorous high school coursework necessary for
success in secondary education. By high school, the most rigorous classes offered are
overwhelmingly male-dominated.
WOMEN AND STEM • 5
HIGHER EDUCATION
Facts and Figures
Women earn only 31 percent of STEM certificates, and degrees in the United States (Change the
Equation & American Institutes for Research, 2012).
Overall College Enrollment and Degree Attainment, by Gender, 2009
57
All College Enrollment
43
31
STEM Awards in total
69
0
25
Women
50
75
100
Men
Source: National Center of Education Statistics, 2012;
Change the Equation, 2012
• Only 11 percent of the four-year degrees women earn are in STEM, compared to 23 percent of men
(National Science Foundation, 2012).
• Only 19.7 percent of female freshmen intend to major in STEM, while 35.3 percent of male
freshmen want to go into the field (National Science Foundation, 2012).
• Fewer than 20 percent of the degrees awarded in computer science go to women
(National Science Foundation, 2012).
WOMEN AND STEM • 6
What Women Study: Percentage of STEM Bachelor's Degrees by Discipline, 2010
11
13.2
Agricultural Sciences
Biological Sciences
8
Computer Science
7
Earth/Oceanic Sciences
2
Math/Statistics
7
Physical Sciences
52
Engineering
Source: National Science Foundation, 2012
What Men Study: Percentage of STEM Bachelor's Degrees, by Discipline, 2010
6
Agricultural Sciences
Biological Sciences
22
37
Computer Science
Earth/Oceanic Sciences
Math/Statistics
Physical Sciences
20
7
6
2
Engineering
Source: National Science Foundation, 2012
Analysis
The gender gap both widens and solidifies in higher education. STEM fields such as engineering
have a notoriously high attrition rate, and women are disproportionately affected. Even though women
out-enroll men by a large margin overall, men are still overrepresented in STEM fields and a greater
percentage of men complete a STEM course of study compared to women. Fewer than a third of
STEM awards nationally go to women; in many states, that percentage is much lower. Within STEM,
fields such as computer science have an especially low enrollment rate for women. A few fields,
though, such as biology, have reached gender parity. The trick is achieving that in more fields.
WOMEN AND STEM • 7
THE WORKFORCE
Facts and Figures
• Despite significant growth in the number of STEM jobs over the last decade, the number of women
in STEM jobs has remained flat (Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 2011).
• Women in STEM earn 33 percent more than women in other fields (an average of $31.11 per hour),
but are still paid 14 percent less than men in comparable positions (Economics and Statistics
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2011).
• Women comprise 48 percent of the workforce overall but only 24 percent of the STEM workforce
(Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2011).
Percentage of Workforce, by Gender, 2009
24
STEM Jobs
76
48
All Jobs
52
0
25
50
Women
75
100
Men
Source: Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2011
• Only one out of every seven engineers is female (Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 2011).
• Women are the minority of the workforce in every STEM field except the biological sciences
(American Association of University Women, 2010)
WOMEN AND STEM • 8
Percentage of Employed Workers in Select STEM Occupation who are female, 2008
Mechanical Engineers
6.7%
Electrical Engineers
8.0%
Chemical Engineers
13.0%
Industrial Engineers
15.0%
Computer Programmers
22.0%
Computer Scientists
28.0%
Chemists/Materials Scientists
33.0%
Biological Sciences
53.0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Source: American Association of University Women
• Only 26 percent of women with STEM degrees pursue employment in STEM fields (Economics &
Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. (2011))
Employment of Women with STEM Degrees, by Occupational Area, 2009
23
26
STEM Occupations
Education
Healthcare
6
Non-STEM Managers
Business & Financial
14
11
Other
19
Source: Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
WOMEN AND STEM • 9
Analysis
Given its early origins, the gender gap in the workforce is unsurprising yet still disappointing. Despite
huge growth in the STEM sector over the last decade — growth that is projected to continue —
women comprise only a quarter of the STEM workforce. Regardless of their level of educational
attainment, in most STEM fields, men are more likely to be employed in the sector. Even if women
get a job in STEM post-graduation they are likely to switch fields: According to the Economics and
Statistics Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 75 percent of women who earn a
bachelor’s degree in a STEM subject are employed outside the field 10 years after graduation.
Women earn slightly less than men in STEM fields, although the wage gap is smaller than in other,
non-STEM fields. Further, men significantly outpace women in the number of associate’s, bachelor’s,
master’s and Ph.D. degrees in STEM fields, further curtailing women’s earning and job potential.
WOMEN AND STEM • 10
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The United States has an increasingly STEM-oriented economy. To maintain preeminence in STEM
fields, we need 1 million more workers than are projected to enter STEM in the next 10 years (PCAST, 2012). Reaching this mark, however, is impossible unless we increase the number of women
completing studies in STEM and entering the STEM job market.
• The gender gap does not start in higher education or even high school. Young girls often believe
that math and science are for boys and subsequently turn their attention, efforts and passion
elsewhere. By 12th grade, they achieve at significantly lower levels than their male peers. Directing
attention to programs targeting young girls is crucial.
• Women represent largely untapped recruiting potential on college campuses: They comprise 60
percent of today’s college enrollment but only 30 percent of students majoring in STEM fields. That
means there are several million young women who could potentially be invested in STEM careers.
• Even once women earn a degree in STEM, they are leaving — or not even entering — STEM fields
at a much higher rate than men. Further examination of why women’s careers in STEM are cut
short will help clarify motivations and allow businesses to better recruit women, as well as adapt
policies and practices.
WOMEN AND STEM • 11
REFERENCES
American Association of University Women. (2010). Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED509653.pdf.
Change the Equation and American Institutes for Research. (2012). STEM Vital Signs. Retrieved from
http://vitalsigns.changetheequation.org/.
National Science Foundation. (2012). Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and
Engineering [Table 5.1] Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/pdf/tab5-1.pdf
National Science Foundation. (2012). Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and
Engineering [Table 2.8] Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/pdf/tab2-8.pdf
President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. (2012). Engage to Excel: Producing One Million
Additional College Graduates With Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Robelen, E. (June 11, 2012). “Evidence Persists of STEM Gender Gap for Girls.” EdWeek. Retrieved from
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/06/evidence_persists_of_stem_achi.html?print=1
Severns, M. (June 14, 2012). “Study Offers Possible Explanation for the Huge Gender Gap in Science and
Math.” Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/06/14/stem_gender_gap_research
_on_telling_girls_they_re_bad_at_math_.html.
U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration. (2011). Women in STEM: A Gender
Gap to Innovation. Retrieved from http://www.esa.doc.gov/sites/default/files/reports/documents/
womeninstemagaptoinnovation8311.pdf.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education
Data System (IPEDS). (2009-2010). Retrieved from
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/2011/tables/dtll_196.asp
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational
Progress. (2009). The Nation’s Report Card. [Graph illustration of 4th-, 8th and 12th-grade Science Achievement
Results] Retrieved from http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/g12_nat.asp?tab_id=tab2&subtab_
id=Tab_2#tabsContainer.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational
Progress. (2009). The Nation’s Report Card. [Graph illustration of 12th-grade Science Achievement Results]
Retrieved from http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2009/g12_nat.asp?tab_id=tab2&subtab_
id=Tab_2#tabsContainer
WOMEN AND STEM • 2
WOMEN AND STEM • 12
Change the Equation (CTEq) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is
mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning in the United States. Since its launch
in September 2010, CTEq has helped its nearly 100 members connect and align their
philanthropic and advocacy efforts so that they add up to much more than the sum
of their parts. CTEq’s coalition of members strives to sustain a national movement to
improve PreK-12 STEM learning by leveraging and expanding its work focusing on
three goals: improving philanthropy, inspiring youth, and advocating for change.
www.changetheequation.org
WOMEN AND STEM • 13