Does the Gender Gap in STEM Majors Vary by Field and Institutional Selectivity?

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Section 2: College Student Access, Success, and Outcomes Poster Session 1

Abstract

This research brief examines the gender gap in specific STEM majors among college sophomores and whether this gap varies across institutions of different selectivity. Using national longitudinal data, results show that women’s underrepresentation on STEM is solely driven by the field of physics, mathematics, engineering, and computer science (PEMC) and that the gender gap in this particular STEM field is ubiquitous across institutions of different selectivity levels. Men are three to four times more likely to major in PEMC even when comparing males and females scoring at the top of the SATs, who have a positive orientation toward math, and are enrolled at highly selective institutions.

Authors

• Barbara Schneider, Michigan State University

• Carolina Milesi, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Lara Perez-Felkner, Florida State University

• Kevin L. Brown, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Iliya Gutin, NORC at the University of Chicago