Gender Balance In Computer Science And Engineering Is Improving At Elite Universities But Getting Worse Elsewhere

(MENAFN- The Conversation) The share of computer science and engineering degrees going to women has increased at the most selective American universities over the past 20 years and is approaching gender parity, while the proportion has declined at less selective schools. Those are the main findings of a study my colleague and I recently published in the journal Science.

Jo R. King and I analyzed over 34 million bachelor's degrees awarded by nearly 1,600 American universities from 2002 to 2022 – data covering almost all bachelors-degree-granting institutions in the U.S. We wanted to identify which factors best predict parity among men and women in physics, engineering and computer science majors.

We focused on the ratio of how many physics, engineering and computer science degrees men earned out of the total degrees they earned across all majors, relative to the corresponding ratio for women. A university's average math SAT score among admitted students emerged as the strongest predictor of the relative ratio – the two ratios compared – and its importance has grown over time. SAT scores range from 200 to 800.

At universities with average math SAT scores of about 770 – which tends to be the standard at only the most elite, math-focused U.S. schools, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology and Harvey Mudd College – men earned these degrees at 1.5 times the rate of women in 2022, an improvement from 2.2 in 2002.

In schools with math SAT scores around 560, the ratio hasn't changed – men earned physics, engineering and computer science degrees at five times the rate of women in 2022, the same as 20 years earlier. At less selective schools with math SAT averages around 450, the ratio was even more uneven. Men earned these degrees at 7.1 times the rate of women in 2022, more than double the 3.5 ratio from 2002.

Overall, across all schools, men earned degrees in these fields at 4.4 times the rate for women in 2022, a slight improvement from the 4.6 rate in 2002. This rate is very different from the near parity in gender found in other science, technology, engineering and math fields.

Previous studies showed that individual student-level factors influence success in these fields. These include test scores in non-STEM subjects , confidence in one's STEM abilities , intentions to major in physics, engineering and computer science and career aspirations .

We examined two additional nationally representative datasets to test whether these personal factors explained the patterns across schools. They did not. Even when men and women began college with similar achievement, interests and aspirations, those at less selective schools showed much wider gender gaps.

The college majors of physics, engineering and computer science are some of the most gender-imbalanced majors in U.S. colleges today.

This divide has serious consequences for gender equality and economic opportunity. Male and female graduates in technical fields, even from less selective schools , earn higher salaries . When women at these schools don't complete these degrees, they miss valuable economic benefits.

Our findings raise particular concerns for women of color. They more often attend schools where gender gaps among STEM majors continue to widen . This pattern compounds existing inequalities and limits diversity in fields where different perspectives drive innovation .

Our research suggests that current efforts to increase women's participation focus too heavily on elite schools. While these universities show important progress, I believe it's important to adapt successful strategies to all types of institutions.

Although we have identified a new pattern and have shown when and where gender gaps are improving or worsening, we cannot say exactly why some institutions have been more successful than others in closing these gaps. We need more research to understand what specific practices or environmental factors at high-performing schools are making the difference.

We also need to better understand how early educational experiences and social factors influence women's choices about pursuing physics, engineering and computer science degrees at different types of institutions. We do know that gendered stereotypes linking men to math , physics, engineering and computer science develop early.

Additionally, more research is needed on the role of faculty diversity and mentorship programs in supporting women's success in these fields.

Finally, women are severely underrepresented in physics, engineering and computer science fields around the world . We don't know whether similar patterns regarding university selectivity exist internationally.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

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