The Stem Gender Gap: Can it be Closed?

Author

Makenna Roberts, Utah State University

Date of Award

5-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Mathematics and Statistics

Abstract

Despite increasing gender parity in many professional fields, women remain underrepresented in STEM industries, particularly in math-intensive areas such as engineering, computer science, and physics. This report explores the persistent gender gap in STEM through analysis of two data sources: gendered differences in the US national Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) performance and post-graduate employment patterns among scientists and engineers.

The first portion of the analysis examines SAT score data from 2018 to 2024, with a focus on high-performing test-takers. Using Python and R, data was extracted and visualized to compare male and female performance on the Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) sections. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model was used to assess whether gender remained a significant predictor of SAT math performance over time. The results showed that while both male and female scores declined post-2021, males consistently outperformed females in math, with the gap being most prominent among top scorers. In contrast, females outperformed males in ERW across all years. The findings suggest that even among high performers, females may exhibit more balanced verbal and quantitative abilities, while males tend to excel more exclusively in math—potentially influencing career trajectories.

The second portion of the study analyzes 2021 data from the National Survey of Recent College Graduates. It reveals stark differences in post-graduate employment-seeking behavior by gender. Across nearly all age groups, unemployed female scientists and engineers are significantly less likely to be actively seeking employment compared to their male counterparts. For women aged 30–49—a common age range for childrearing—over 64% were not seeking employment. This contrasts sharply with male scientists, most of whom remained active job seekers across all ages.

Together, these findings highlight how both cognitive factors (relative performance in math vs. verbal skills) and sociocultural factors (like domestic labor expectations) may contribute to women’s underrepresentation and interest in STEM. This report advocates for future longitudinal studies that follow high-achieving students across disciplines to better understand how skill profiles and gender norms influence career choices and persistence in STEM fields.

Recommended Citation

Roberts, Makenna, "The Stem Gender Gap: Can it be Closed?" (2025). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 1034.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/1034