Research/StudySTEM Fields

What Drives Women Out of STEM Fields?

Many women who start college in STEM disciplines change their major and graduate from colleges with degrees in other non-STEM fields. Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that 14.2 percent of women who enter bachelor’s degree programs in STEM fields dropout of college and another 32.4 percent switch majors and earn a degree in a non-STEM field. Thus, almost half of women who begin bachelor’s degree programs in STEM disciplines do not complete a degree in a STEM field.

Now a new study by researchers at Cornell University and the University of Texas finds there is a similar attrition for professional women who start out in STEM-related occupations. The data showed that for women who start out in STEM-related jobs, after 12 years 50 percent had moved to non-STEM related jobs. For women who start out in non-STEM related occupations, only 20 percent changed careers over the 30-year span of the study.

The data showed that the attrition from STEM occupations is greater for women with advanced degrees than for women with bachelor’s degrees only. Also women who have husbands who also work in STEM fields were less likely to change careers to a non-STEM related field.

sasslerSharon Sassler, professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University and a co-author of the study, stated, “A lot of people still think it’s having children that leads to STEM women’s exits. It’s not the family. Women leave before they have children or even get married. Our findings suggest that there is something unique about the STEM climate that results in women leaving.”

One factor that may contribute to women leaving STEM jobs, according to the authors, is that men in STEM fields tends to have more traditional ideas about gender roles than other college-educated men.

Professor Sassler is a graduate of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from Brown University.

The paper, “What’s So Special about STEM? A Comparison of Women’s Retention in STEM and Professional Occupations,” is published in the December issue of the journal Social Forces. It may be accessed here.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

Latest News

Sherry Kollmann Named President of Vermont State University

0
With over 25 years of experience in higher education, business, and public service, Dr. Kollmann has been serving as chancellor of the New Mexico State University Global Campus. She is slated to become the next president of Vermont State University in July.

Stacy Leeds Will Be the Next President of the University of Tulsa

0
Throughout her career, Leeds has gained more than 25 years of experience as a professor and university administrator. Currently, she serves as dean of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

Chantae Recasner Is the Sole Finalist for the Presidency of Olympic College in Washington

0
Dr. Recasner has over two decades of experience as a tenured faculty member and senior administration in higher education. She has been serving as the interim president of Seattle Central University.

Vanya Quiñones Appointed President of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

0
Dr. Quiñones, who has been serving as president of California State University, Monterey Bay, is slated to become the first Latina president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona on July 1.

Shawna Cooper Whitehead Named the First Woman President of Regis University in Colorado

0
Dr. Cooper Whitehead brings extensive experience in student affairs and academic leadership to her new role. She comes to Regis university from Boston College, where she has served as vice president of student affairs since 2021.

Latest Job Listings

Assistant Professor, Clinician Educator track, in the Division of Genomic Diagnostics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

0
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the non-tenure clinician educator track.

Communications Publications Editorial Manager (Website Content Manager)

0
The Website Content Manager serves as the primary website lead for the College, collaborating with team members across design, marketing, multimedia, public relations, and government affairs.

Assistant Senior Instructional Professor in the Social Sciences Core (Social Science Inquiry)

0
The Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for a full-time Assistant Senior Instructional Professor who will teach in and contribute to the management and administration of the Social Science Inquiry sequence in the Social Sciences Core.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Media Studies

0
The Department of Cinema & Media Studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia invites applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor position in the field of media studies.

Instructional Professor in Law, Letters, and Society (Open Rank)

0
The Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for a full-time Instructional Professor who will teach in the program in Law, Letters, and Society.