The numbers

Real data about women in STEM, sourced from published research, government agencies, and peer-reviewed studies.

28%

of the STEM workforce are women

National Science Foundation

52%

of women in STEM leave their jobs mid-career

Center for Talent Innovation

Workforce participation

Women make up half the total US workforce but remain underrepresented across most STEM fields.

28%

of the STEM workforce in the US are women

National Science Foundation

25%

of computing jobs held by women despite being half the total workforce

Bureau of Labor Statistics

15%

of engineering roles are held by women

Society of Women Engineers

26%

of computing roles are held by women

Bureau of Labor Statistics

47%

of life science roles are held by women

National Science Foundation

44%

of mathematics and statistics roles are held by women

National Science Foundation

39%

of chemistry roles are held by women

American Chemical Society

Education pipeline

Women earn the majority of all bachelor's degrees, but the numbers drop sharply in computing and engineering.

57%

of all bachelor's degrees are earned by women

National Center for Education Statistics

19%

of computer science degrees are earned by women

National Center for Education Statistics

21%

of engineering degrees are earned by women

National Center for Education Statistics

43%

of mathematics degrees are earned by women

National Center for Education Statistics

52%

of chemistry degrees are earned by women

National Center for Education Statistics

18-20%

of CS bachelor's degrees go to women, down from 37% in 1984

National Center for Women & Information Technology

24%

of computer science teachers are women

Code.org

4%

of STEM bachelor's degrees are earned by Black women

National Science Foundation

6%

of STEM bachelor's degrees are earned by Latina women

National Science Foundation

Retention crisis

Even when women enter STEM, more than half leave mid-career. The attrition rate dwarfs every other professional field.

52%

of women in STEM leave their jobs mid-career (vs 17% in non-STEM)

Center for Talent Innovation

45%

more likely for women in computing to leave the field than men

National Center for Women & Information Technology

50%

of women leave tech within 12 years (vs 20% of men)

Accenture / Girls Who Code

50%

of women in STEM report experiencing gender discrimination at work

Pew Research Center

36%

of women in tech have experienced sexual harassment

Elephant in the Valley Survey

43%

of highly qualified women with children leave careers or off-ramp

Center for Talent Innovation

Economic impact

Gender parity in STEM is not just a fairness issue. It is an economic imperative worth trillions.

$12T

potential gain to global economy by advancing women's equality

McKinsey Global Institute

$2.5T

potential addition to US economy by reaching STEM gender parity by 2030

McKinsey & Company

15%

more likely to outperform competitors with gender-diverse teams

McKinsey & Company

85¢

earned by women in STEM for every dollar earned by men

American Association of University Women

63¢

earned by Black women per dollar earned by white men in STEM

National Women's Law Center

54¢

earned by Latina women per dollar earned by white men in STEM

National Women's Law Center

$900K–$1.2M

lifetime earnings gap cost for women

National Women's Law Center

The 8 key challenges

Research identifies eight systemic barriers that drive women out of STEM at every stage, from childhood through senior leadership.

Gender Bias and Stereotypes

Unconscious bias begins as early as age 6 and persists throughout careers, affecting hiring, evaluation, and advancement.

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  • •As early as age 6, girls begin to believe that brilliant achievement is a male trait
  • •Parents are 2.5x more likely to ask boys than girls "How does it work?" at science museums
  • •Identical resumes with male names receive higher ratings and $4,000 more in salary offers (Yale study)
  • •Only 18% of characters in STEM careers in children's media are female
  • •In blind auditions, women are 50% more likely to advance

Educational Barriers

From K-12 through higher education, women face less encouragement, hostile climates, and structural barriers that push them out of STEM.

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  • •Only 24% of computer science teachers are women
  • •Female STEM students report harassment and unwelcoming culture at 2x the rate of male peers
  • •Female professors increase the likelihood of female students completing a STEM degree by 6-8%
  • •Women earn 18-20% of CS degrees, down from 37% in 1984
  • •"Weed-out" courses disproportionately discourage women from continuing in STEM

Workplace Discrimination

Half of women in STEM report gender discrimination at work, facing hostile environments, hiring bias, and biased performance evaluations.

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  • •50% of women in STEM report experiencing gender discrimination at work
  • •36% of women in tech have experienced sexual harassment
  • •44% of women in STEM say they've been passed over for important assignments
  • •In CS and engineering, men are hired at twice the rate of equally qualified women
  • •Code written by women on GitHub is accepted more often — but only when gender is unknown

Work-Life Balance

The "motherhood penalty," long-hours culture, and disproportionate caregiving responsibilities drive women out of STEM careers.

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  • •Mothers are 6x less likely to be hired than equally qualified non-mothers
  • •Mothers are offered $11,000 less in starting salary on average
  • •Women perform 2-3x more childcare and household labor than men
  • •Only 27% of US workers have access to paid family leave
  • •During the pandemic, mothers reduced work hours 4-5x more than fathers

Mentorship and Sponsorship Gaps

Women lack access to mentors and sponsors, and are excluded from informal networks that drive career advancement.

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  • •Only 28% of STEM faculty are women, limiting mentorship opportunities
  • •Men are 46% more likely to have sponsors in their networks
  • •Employees with sponsors are 23% more likely to move up than those with only mentors
  • •Women with sponsors are 27% more likely to ask for raises
  • •Cross-gender mentoring relationships face scrutiny, reducing access

Impostor Syndrome

Up to 70% of people experience impostor syndrome, but women and minorities experience it at higher rates due to unwelcoming environments.

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  • •Up to 70% of people experience impostor syndrome at some point
  • •Women apply for jobs only when meeting 100% of qualifications vs 60% for men
  • •Women in tech are twice as likely to report impostor feelings
  • •Being "the only" woman in a room increases impostor feelings
  • •Impostor syndrome correlates with anxiety, depression, and burnout

Pay and Promotion Gaps

Women in STEM earn 85 cents per dollar compared to men, with the gap widening for women of color and at senior levels.

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  • •Women in STEM earn 85 cents for every dollar earned by men
  • •Black women earn 63 cents, Latina women 54 cents, Native American women 50 cents per dollar
  • •For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 86 women are promoted
  • •Women at executive levels earn only 71% of male peers' pay
  • •Lifetime earnings gap costs women $900,000 to $1.2 million

Lack of Representation

Women hold only 14% of senior STEM leadership roles, and underrepresentation at every level perpetuates the cycle.

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  • •Women hold only 14% of senior leadership roles in STEM
  • •Only 5% of tech VC firm partners are women
  • •12% of STEM startup founders are women
  • •Only 13% of Wikipedia STEM biographies are about women
  • •Male scientists are quoted 4x more often than women in media
  • •Only 21% of full professors in STEM are women

All statistics sourced from published research. See our About page for data methodology.