Ranking the States in Producing Women Graduates in STEM Fields

Data analyzed by WIAReport from the U.S. Department of Education shows that in 2009 American women earned 134,634 degrees in the so-called STEM fields of science, technology, engineering. and mathematics. This was 31 percent of all degrees earned in these fields. The percentage of all degrees in STEM fields earned by women actually declined from 32.9 percent in 2001 to 31.0 percent in 2009.

Some states did a far better job in steering women toward degrees in STEM fields than other states. As shown in the table, South Carolina led the list. In 2009, women earned 38.4 percent of all STEM degrees earned in the state. Other states where women showed a strong performance were Mississippi, Alaska, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.

Utah ranked last among the 50 states. There women earned only 20.9 percent of all STEM degrees awarded in 2009. Other states where women’s share of all STEM degrees was significantly below the national average include Idaho, North Dakota, Kentucky, and Michigan.

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

Anne Carson Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

Dr. Carson is known for her work in poetry, fiction, and translation. She has taught at several educational institutions throughout Canada and the United States.

Kimberly T. Kostelis Selected to Lead Central Connecticut State University

Dr. Kostelis, the new interim president of Central Connecticut State University, has been with the university for more than two decades. For the past five years, she has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs.

California State University Dominguez Hills Extends Interim President’s Contract

Mary Ann Villarreal took the helm of CSU Dominguez Hills on January 1, 2026. She will continue to serve as the university's interim president through the 2028–2029 academic year.

Six Women With Academic Ties Named MacArthur Fellows

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently announced the 20 latest recipients in its fellowship program, commonly referred to as “genius grants.” Six of the awardees are American women with ties to the academic world.

Report Ranks the United States 47th Among World Nations in Gender Equality

Along with 31 other economies, the U.S. has reached 100 percent gender parity in educational attainment. But gender gaps in the U.S. persist in economic opportunity, health and survival, and political empowerment, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.

Assistant Professor, Jazz

The Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure-stream position in the area of Jazz.

Associate Professor, Piano Pedagogy

The Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure-stream position in the area of Piano Pedagogy.

Future Faculty in the Physical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship

We seek to attract a diverse cohort of early career scientists who will conduct research in physics, broadly defined, including astrophysics, biophysics, geophysics, and planetary physics, independently or in collaboration with Princeton faculty, postdoctoral researchers and students.

Director of the School of Dance

The College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah invites nominations and applications for a visionary leader to serve as the next Director of its School of Dance.

Assistant Professor of Teaching in Neuroscience in the UCLA Department of Psychology and Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program

The UCLA Department of Psychology and the UCLA Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program invite applications for a full-time Assistant Professor of Teaching who will develop and teach courses in Behavioral, Cellular, and Molecular Neuroscience.