Latest Research: Gender Gap in Computing
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Where Are the Girls?
Today less than 25% of computer science graduates are women. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by 2032 there will be 3.8 million computing-related job openings. At current rates, however, we can only fill about 18% of those jobs with U.S. computing bachelor's grads. Girls represent a valuable, mostly untapped talent pool.
NCWIT, 2024 By The Numbers |
What's the Problem?
Girls’ positive self-perception in relation to STEM predicts their identification with STEM professions, and girls belonging to all racial/ethnic groups are likely to benefit from having experiences with science across multiple environments including in school, at home, and outside of school.
How do middle school girls of color develop STEM identities? (Kang, et al, 2018) |
What’s the Current Landscape?
Women have made up only 25% of professionals in computing and mathematical sciences for the last 20 years. This number has dropped from 36% in 1991. Hispanic and Latino women make up 2% of computing professionals, while Black and African American women account for 3%.
2024 NCWIT Scorecard |
More Research
- Global Education Monitoring Report: Gender Report (UNESCO, 2024)
- Bridging the Encouragement Gap in Computing (NCWIT, 2019)
- Women in Tech: The Facts (NCWIT, 2016)
- Leaning Out: Teen Girls and Leadership (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2015)
- Women Who Choose Computer Science - What Really Matters (Google, 2014)
- When Women Stopped Coding (NPR's Planet Money, 2014)
- Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity (National Women’s Law Center, 2014)
- STEM job preparedness pipeline: Addressing education and culture locally (Mary Baldwin College, 2013)
- SciGirls Seven: How to Engage Girls in STEM (PBS SciGirls, 2013)
- The Grass Is Greener in Non-STEM Classes: Examining the Role of Competing Belonging to Undergraduate Women's Vulnerability to Being Pulled Away From Science (California State University, 2013)
- G.A.M.E.S. (Girls Advancing Mathematics, Engineering & Science) - S.T.E.M. National Initiative (Northeastern University, 2013)
- The Hidden STEM Economy (Brookings Institution, 2013)
- New Study Exposes Gender Bias in Tech Job Listings (Wired, 2013)
- CERN offers UN advice on bringing women into science (Symmetry, 2013)
- Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering (NSF, 2013)
- Science faculty's subtle gender biases favor male students (PNAS, 2012)
- Why the engineering, computer science gender gap persists (Scientific American, 2012)
- Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (AAUW, 2010)
- New Image for Computing: Report on Market Research (Dot Diva, 2009)
- Young Women’s Perceptions of Technology and Engineering: Factors Influencing Their Participation in Math, Science and Technology? (University of Wisconsin, 2007)
