The gender composition of popular college majors varies depending on school and location, and statistics change each year, however, there are several specific trends when it comes to this subject. Biases about gender and chosen field of study abound, commonly associating men with fields like engineering and economics and women with humanities and education. The data that have been gathered on this topic do not always fit directly with these assumptions, but some insight into gender distribution does arise.
NPR’s Planet Money looked into this question of college majors and gender in 2014. This study compiled data from 1970 to 2014 to map out the percentage of female undergraduates in the main fields of study. As of that year, business, math, and general science had a fairly even gender split while engineering and computer science had a greater proportion of men. Health, education, social work, art, communications, and languages had higher percentages of women. This may be in line with assumptions as well as what many students see in their courses of study, but other trends are also at work. The number of females in engineering is on the rise, bringing averages closer to even. Additionally, although math and science have been fairly even in the past, the percentage of females is also rising here. It is important to note that at many schools, including DU, there is a greater percentage of women than men enrolled, and women are now more likely to earn degrees. It is possible that changing demographics of colleges as well as majors will reverse some of these proportions soon.
College Atlas also analyzed these trends (although these data are from 2012 so are also dated) and drew similar conclusions to the Planet Money study, placing more males in the engineering fields and more women in the social sciences and humanities. Business was popular among both. But these statistics have implications beyond gender biases and stereotype: college major and chosen field of study influence future pay, and there exists a striking pay gap between men and women. While differing across fields, women on average are making about 75 cents to every dollar made by men. In 2016, the Washington Post ranked college majors by highest median base salary, placing computer science and various engineering fields at the top of the list. Analysis done by Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute showed that while men are earning fewer bachelor’s degrees than women, they are earning more degrees in the highest-paying categories. The wage gap does not exist only because of differences in jobs—in many situations, women are paid less for doing the same job—but these facts offer another point of analysis.
DU does not have easily accessible data on how majors split by gender, but most students have perceptions of this just based on going to class and becoming familiar with their programs. It is likely that these trends will continue to fluctuate, but for now, differences in demographics exist. The make-up of majors will ultimately be decided by the passions and proclivities of the students that choose them, and women and men should not feel like they must choose a major for the purpose of evening out statistics.
However, institutions like DU should ensure that support exists for all students in all fields of study and that stereotype does not affect the treatment these students receive. This does not only apply to women in programs like computer science or economics but also men in programs like education or communications. It is not difficult to argue that more gender balance across fields of study will benefit innovation and excellence all around, and although many variables determine future employment and salary, this balance could have effects on wage gaps and leadership roles as well. Students of all genders are studying in every field, and encouragement and guidance from professors, advisors, and peers will ensure that great minds of all sorts will continue to work on the world’s important problems and questions.
