By 2021, women in STEM were earning just 74 cents for every dollar men made in similar roles, while survey data also shows 29% of women reported gender bias in promotions. At the same time, the pipeline keeps shifting with women making up 35% of STEM bachelor’s degrees in 2016 to 2021, yet many still plan to leave by 35. This post pulls together the most revealing women in STEM statistics so the gaps between representation, recognition, and opportunity become impossible to ignore.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021 surveys, 29% of women in STEM reported gender bias in promotions
- 50% of women in tech left or planned to leave STEM careers by age 35 per 2021 study
- Women in STEM earn 74 cents on the dollar compared to men in similar roles US 2021
- In 2021, women earned 24% of all bachelor's degrees awarded in engineering fields in the United States
- Women received 21% of master's degrees in computer science in the US during 2021
- In 2020-2021, female students comprised 28% of enrollees in undergraduate computer and information sciences programs in US institutions
- Women represented 7% of CEOs in top STEM firms in US Fortune 500 2021
- In 2022, women held 27% of board seats at S&P 500 companies in tech and STEM sectors
- Only 10% of US patents in 2021 were solely invented by women in STEM fields
- In 2016-2021, women's share of STEM bachelor's degrees rose from 31% to 35% in US
- Female engineering bachelor's degrees increased 25% from 2010 to 2021 in US
- Women in US STEM workforce grew from 26% in 2011 to 28% in 2021
- In the US workforce in 2021, women held 28% of STEM occupations overall
- Women comprised 16% of engineers in the US labor force in 2021
- In 2021, 26% of computer and mathematical scientists in US were women
Women in STEM still face bias at work and in pay, causing high attrition and slower advancement.
Related reading
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryWomen In Stem Fields Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryGender Gap In Stem Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryWomen In Computer Science Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryWomen In Leadership Positions Statistics
01 · Category
Barriers and Challenges25 stats
01
In 2021 surveys, 29% of women in STEM reported gender bias in promotions
02
50% of women in tech left or planned to leave STEM careers by age 35 per 2021 study
03
Women in STEM earn 74 cents on the dollar compared to men in similar roles US 2021
04
38% of women in science reported sexual harassment in workplace per 2018 US survey
05
In engineering, 40% of women cited lack of advancement as reason to leave per 2020 study
06
Women in STEM face 2x higher childcare responsibilities impacting career per 2021 data
07
25% fewer women apply for STEM jobs due to imposter syndrome per 2019 UK study
08
Microaggressions reported by 62% of women in STEM academia 2021 survey
09
Women receive 10% fewer performance reviews mentioning competence in STEM
10
35% of female STEM PhDs leave tenure track due to work-life imbalance 2020 data
11
Sexual harassment claims in STEM fields 2.5x higher for women per EEOC 2021
12
Women in CS report 47% higher isolation feelings than men per 2022 study
13
Funding bias: women PIs get 16% less NIH funding in STEM 2021 analysis
14
42% of women in engineering experienced pay inequity per 2021 NSPE survey
15
Lack of female mentors cited by 55% of women leaving STEM per 2019 study
16
Women 3x more likely to be asked about family in STEM interviews 2021 data
17
28% attrition rate for women in STEM vs 12% for men early career 2020
18
Stereotype threat reduces women's STEM test scores by 10-15% per meta-analysis
19
60% of women in physics reported bias in peer review 2021 survey
20
Maternity leave gaps cause 20% career delay for STEM women per EU 2022
21
Women underrepresented in STEM conferences: 25% speakers 2022 average
22
33% of female STEM workers experienced discrimination in last 5 years US 2021
23
Bias in letters of rec: women described as "helpful" 2x more than "innovative"
24
45% of women in biotech cite toxic culture as barrier per 2021 BIO survey
25
Remote work post-COVID increased burnout for 39% STEM women vs 24% men
Interpretation
Barriers and Challenges Interpretation
The data paints a bleak picture of a leaky pipeline springing not just a few holes, but a systemic failure where bias is the wallpaper, harassment is the background noise, and women are handed a heavier ladder to climb while being asked about their childcare plans halfway up.
02 · Category
Educational Attainment30 stats
01
In 2021, women earned 24% of all bachelor's degrees awarded in engineering fields in the United States
02
Women received 21% of master's degrees in computer science in the US during 2021
03
In 2020-2021, female students comprised 28% of enrollees in undergraduate computer and information sciences programs in US institutions
04
Women accounted for 50.2% of all bachelor's degrees conferred in biological and biomedical sciences in the US in 2021
05
In 2021, women earned 57% of doctoral degrees in psychology within STEM-related social sciences in the US
06
Female graduates made up 22% of physics bachelor's degrees in the US in 2021
07
In 2019, women represented 35% of undergraduate STEM majors overall in US colleges
08
Women earned 18% of astronomy and astrophysics bachelor's degrees in the US in 2021
09
In 2021, 41% of mathematics and statistics bachelor's degrees went to women in the US
10
Women comprised 48% of agricultural sciences bachelor's degree recipients in the US in 2021
11
In 2021, women earned 29% of chemical engineering bachelor's degrees in the US
12
Female students earned 56% of health sciences bachelor's degrees classified under STEM in 2021 US data
13
In 2020, women made up 27% of STEM graduate students in US universities
14
Women received 25% of PhDs in engineering in the US in 2021
15
In 2021, 39% of master's degrees in physical sciences were awarded to women in the US
16
Women earned 51% of social sciences bachelor's degrees in STEM contexts in the US 2021
17
In 2018-2019, 34% of high school AP Calculus exam takers who were girls scored 5 in the US
18
Women comprised 22% of undergraduate engineering enrollees in US in fall 2020
19
In 2021, women earned 20% of electrical engineering bachelor's degrees in the US
20
Female representation in US STEM doctoral programs reached 30% in 2021 overall
21
In 2021, 55% of biochemistry bachelor's degrees were awarded to women in the US
22
Women made up 28% of mechanical engineering bachelor's recipients in US 2021
23
In 2020, 42% of STEM associate degrees in US community colleges went to women
24
Women earned 37% of earth sciences master's degrees in the US in 2021
25
In 2021, 49% of medical sciences doctoral degrees were to women in US STEM
26
Female high school students comprised 47% of biology AP exam takers scoring 3+ in 2021 US
27
In 2021, women received 23% of civil engineering bachelor's degrees in the US
28
Women accounted for 31% of materials science PhDs in US 2021
29
In fall 2021, 26% of US engineering graduate students were women
30
Women earned 52% of ecology bachelor's degrees in the US in 2021
Interpretation
Educational Attainment Interpretation
It's clear that women are powerfully claiming their space in the life and social sciences, yet they must still decode a stubborn, systemic algorithm to enter the physical and engineering fields in equal numbers.
03 · Category
Leadership and Awards25 stats
01
Women represented 7% of CEOs in top STEM firms in US Fortune 500 2021
02
In 2022, women held 27% of board seats at S&P 500 companies in tech and STEM sectors
03
Only 10% of US patents in 2021 were solely invented by women in STEM fields
04
Women won 14% of Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine since 1901 up to 2023
05
In 2021, women were 24% of full professors in STEM at US research universities
06
Female representation among STEM department chairs at US universities was 18% in 2021
07
In 2022, 8% of Fortune 500 STEM company CEOs were women
08
Women received 22% of MacArthur Fellowships in STEM fields from 1981-2022
09
In US academia 2021, women held 30% of associate professor positions in STEM
10
Only 5% of Turing Award winners since 1966 have been women up to 2023
11
Women comprised 15% of Fields Medal recipients in mathematics since 1936 to 2022
12
In 2021, 20% of NSF CAREER Awards in engineering went to women
13
Female Nobel laureates in sciences total 25 out of 627 up to 2023
14
Women held 12% of dean positions in US STEM colleges in 2021 surveys
15
In tech giants like Google 2022, women were 25% of leadership in engineering
16
Only 3% of venture capital funded startups in STEM had female founders in 2021 US
17
Women won 28% of AAAS Fellowships in STEM sections in 2022
18
In 2021, 17% of IEEE Fellows elected were women
19
Female presidents of US national academies in STEM: 2 out of 7 as of 2023
20
Women comprised 21% of principal investigators on NIH R01 grants in STEM 2021
21
In 2022, 11% of Wolf Prize winners in STEM since 1978 were women
22
Women held 26% of VP positions in STEM firms per 2022 LeanIn.org data
23
Only 4 women have won the Abel Prize in Mathematics out of 30 since 2003
24
In US national labs 2021, women were 19% of lab directors or deputy directors
25
Women received 23% of Gordon Research Conference leadership roles in STEM 2022
Interpretation
Leadership and Awards Interpretation
Despite these sobering statistics, the undeniable truth is that the pipeline of brilliant women in STEM has been systematically leaking at every single junction, from the lab bench to the boardroom.
More related reading
04 · Category
Progress Over Time29 stats
01
In 2016-2021, women's share of STEM bachelor's degrees rose from 31% to 35% in US
02
Female engineering bachelor's degrees increased 25% from 2010 to 2021 in US
03
Women in US STEM workforce grew from 26% in 2011 to 28% in 2021
04
CS PhDs to women rose from 18% in 2010 to 22% in 2021 US
05
Global women in STEM tertiary education up 10% from 2015-2020 per UNESCO
06
US women full professors in STEM from 15% in 2003 to 24% in 2021
07
Female patents in US doubled from 10% in 2000 to 20% in 2021 shares
08
Women in tech leadership US up from 10% in 2014 to 17% in 2022
09
Engineering grad enrollment women from 20% 2010 to 26% 2021 US
10
Life sciences women workforce stable at 48% but leadership up 5% 2011-2021
11
High school girls taking AP CS exam up 135% from 2014-2021 US
12
Women Nobel science winners from 4 in 2000 to 12 cumulative by 2023
13
US STEM women with doctorates employed full-time up 8% 2010-2021
14
Female STEM startup founders tripled from 5% 2010 to 15% 2021 VC data
15
Women in physical sciences PhDs from 28% 2000 to 39% 2021 US
16
Global female researchers grew 20% from 2010-2018 UNESCO data
17
Women CS bachelor's up from 18% 2014 to 22% 2021 US reversal trend
18
Female tenure-track in STEM US universities +12% 2008-2021
19
Girls' interest in STEM careers up 15% from 2010-2020 global surveys
20
Women in EU STEM employment rose 4% 2013-2021 Eurostat
21
US women in math occupations from 27% 2011 to 30% 2021
22
Female IEEE members up 20% since 2010 to 2022
23
Women in biotech leadership doubled from 15% 2010 to 30% 2022
24
AP Physics girls participation +50% 2014-2021 College Board
25
Female chemists in US workforce from 25% 2003 to 27% 2021 slight gain
26
Women receiving Sloan Fellowships in STEM up 10% share 2010-2022
27
Global women engineering grads +15% 2015-2020 UIS data
28
US women in computer occupations from 24% 2011 to 26% 2021
29
Female representation in AI research papers up from 12% 2010 to 18% 2022
Interpretation
Progress Over Time Interpretation
The numbers reveal a persistent and promising glacial creep toward parity, where every percentage point gained is a hard-fought battle won, proving that while the pipeline is still patching its leaks, the pressure is finally building.
05 · Category
Workforce Representation30 stats
01
In the US workforce in 2021, women held 28% of STEM occupations overall
02
Women comprised 16% of engineers in the US labor force in 2021
03
In 2021, 26% of computer and mathematical scientists in US were women
04
Women made up 48% of life scientists in the US STEM workforce in 2021
05
In 2021 US data, 15% of computer programmers were women
06
Women represented 34% of physical scientists in the US workforce in 2021
07
In 2021, 22% of software developers in US were female
08
Women held 12% of electrical engineering jobs in US 2021
09
In the US in 2021, 50% of biological technicians were women
10
Women comprised 27% of chemists in US STEM workforce 2021
11
In 2021, 18% of mechanical engineers in US were women
12
Women made up 35% of postsecondary STEM teachers in US 2021
13
In US 2021, 10% of aerospace engineers were female
14
Women represented 28% of medical scientists in US workforce 2021
15
In 2021, 25% of civil engineers in US were women
16
Women held 20% of data scientist roles in US 2021 estimates
17
In US 2021, 45% of environmental scientists were women
18
Women comprised 14% of physicists and astronomers in US 2021
19
In 2021 US, 30% of mathematicians were female
20
Women made up 52% of social scientists in STEM fields US 2021
21
In 2021, 17% of chemical engineers in US workforce were women
22
Women represented 40% of agricultural and food scientists in US 2021
23
In US 2021, 23% of industrial engineers were female
24
Women held 11% of petroleum engineering jobs in US 2021
25
In 2021, 29% of materials scientists in US were women
26
Women comprised 21% of operations research analysts in STEM US 2021
27
In US 2021, 46% of microbiologists were female
28
Women made up 13% of nuclear engineers in US workforce 2021
29
In 2021 US, only 9% of computer network architects were women
30
Women held 24% of architecture and engineering management roles in US 2021
Interpretation
Workforce Representation Interpretation
While the STEM landscape is not yet a picture of parity, the data reveals a stubbornly familiar story: women are often crowded into the life and social sciences, hovering at or near half, while their presence plummets to a mere whisper—single digits in some engineering and tech fields—as if an invisible, systemic tour guide is still directing traffic based on outdated, and frankly illogical, maps.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Women In Stem Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-stem-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Women In Stem Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/women-in-stem-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Women In Stem Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-stem-statistics.
Sources & references
48 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level