Study Finds That On Average Women Take 15 Years Longer Than Men to Reach Full Professor Status

Gender bias in higher education has been setting women in academia back for decades. In many academic fields, women are less likely to win prestigious awards, receive grant funding, and participate in research. A new study published in the journal Applied Economics has reported on yet another gender gap in higher education; the time its takes to reach full professorship status. According to the study’s findings, it takes women professors nearly 15 years long than men to reach the highest rank in academia.

For their study, the authors examined employment data for universities in the Russell Group, a large coalition of research institutions, between the 2004-2005 and 2019-2020 academic years. In their analysis, they found it takes women professors roughly 8.5 additional years to reach associate professor status than their male peers, and another 6.1 years to reach the rank of full professor.

Over the 15-year period, women were 6 percent less likely to become full professors, 4 percent less likely to become associate professors, and 10 percent more likely to remain at the same professorial rank. During the 2019-2020 academic year, women presented 44 percent of all professors in the Russell Group, but only 27 percent of all full professors.

In their conclusion, the authors write, “Universities should foster inclusive environments, value diverse perspectives, and provide equal opportunities for career advancement. Mentorship programs, support networks, and transparent promotion criteria can mitigate bias and ensure fair evaluations. Ultimately, achieving equity and inclusion requires collective efforts from academic institutions, policymakers, and stakeholders to dismantle systemic barriers and promote gender parity in higher education.”