Field of degree: Women, men, and racial and ethnic groups

In 2016, women from underrepresented minority groups earned more than half of the science and engineering (S&E) degrees awarded to their respective racial and ethnic groups at all degree levels—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate. Underrepresented minority women have increasing and strong shares of bachelor’s degrees in psychology, social sciences, and biological sciences. Representation in these fields by underrepresented minority women is increasing and is near or above their representation in the labor force. In addition, they also received more than half of the associate’s degrees in the S&E technology fields that prepare students for skilled technical careers.

Differences between women and men

Underrepresented minorities

In 2016, underrepresented minority women received more associate’s degrees in science and in S&E technologies than did their male counterparts. Men, however, received more associate’s degrees in engineering. S&E technologies—science, engineering, health, and other technologies that prepare students for skilled technical jobs—are an important part of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce.

At each degree level, underrepresented minority women earned a higher share of S&E degrees than did underrepresented minority men in 2016. Over the past two decades, the share of both underrepresented minority women and men receiving S&E degrees has steadily increased at all degree levels. The share of both underrepresented minority women and men receiving S&E master’s degrees declined slightly in 2015 and 2016 because of an increase in master’s degrees earned by temporary visa holders. However, despite this share decrease, the number of master’s degrees earned by underrepresented minorities increased over this period.

Associate's degrees in science, engineering, and S&E technologies, by sex, ethnicity, and selected race: 2016

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s)

S&E technologies includes science, engineering, health, and other S&E technologies that prepare students for skilled technical jobs. Race and ethnicity breakouts are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. Hispanic or Latino may be any race. Data are based on degree-granting institutions eligible to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs and do not match previously published data that were based on accredited higher education institutions.

Source(s)

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey, unrevised provisional release data, 2016. Related detailed data: WMPD table 4-3.

Science and engineering degrees earned by underrepresented minority women and men, as a percentage of all S&E degrees awarded of each degree, by degree type: 1996–2016

S&E = science and engineering.

Note(s)

Data not available for 1999. Underrepresented minority groups include black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native. Data are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Source(s)

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey, unrevised provisional release data. Related detailed data: WMPD table 5-1, table 5-2, table 5-3, table 6-3, table 6-4, table 6-5, and table 7-7.

American Indians or Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders

Two smaller minority groups that are not always presented in detail are American Indians or Alaska Natives as well as Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders. A total of 4,366 bachelor’s degrees in S&E fields were awarded to individuals in these two groups in 2016. Social sciences, psychology, and biological sciences had the most female bachelor’s degree recipients, while men most frequently studied social sciences, biological sciences, engineering, and computer sciences. In 2016, more American Indian or Alaska Native women received bachelor’s degrees than did men in this group, as did Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander women, who received slightly more bachelor’s degrees than their male counterparts.

Bachelor's degrees in science and engineering earned by American Indians or Alaska Natives and by Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders, by sex and field: 2016

Note(s)

Biological sciences includes life sciences. Physical sciences includes earth sciences. Race and ethnicity breakouts are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Source(s)

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey, unrevised provisional release data. Related detailed data: WMPD table 5-4 and table 5-5.

Bachelor’s degrees

Hispanic or Latino women

Hispanic or Latino women earn a higher share of bachelor’s degrees in psychology, social sciences, and biological sciences than in other S&E fields. The share of the bachelor’s degrees they earn in these three broad fields has increased rapidly since 1996. The share of Hispanic or Latino women receiving a bachelor’s degree in engineering has increased only slightly over time, whereas the share for computer sciences has been fairly steady over the past two decades. Nevertheless, these shares represent over 2,500 Hispanic or Latino women receiving bachelor’s degrees in engineering in 2016, and over 1,200 in computer sciences.

Science and engineering bachelor's degrees earned by Hispanic or Latino women, as a percentage of degree field, by field: 1996–2016

Note(s)

Data not available for 1999. Hispanic or Latino may be any race. Data are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Source(s)

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey, unrevised provisional release data. Related detailed data: WMPD table 5-7.

Black or African American women

Black or African American women, similar to Hispanic or Latino women, earn a higher share of bachelor’s degrees in psychology, social sciences, and biological sciences than in any other broad S&E field, and they have increased their shares in these fields over the past two decades. Their shares of bachelor’s degrees in the other S&E fields have declined since 1996. For engineering and for mathematics and statistics, the fields with the lowest shares, this represents over 1,000 black or African American women who received bachelor’s degrees in engineering in 2016, and over 500 who received such degrees in mathematics and statistics.

Science and engineering bachelor's degrees earned by black or African American women, as a percentage of degree field, by field: 1996–2016

Note(s)

Data not available for 1999. Data are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Source(s)

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey, unrevised provisional release data. Related detailed data: WMPD table 5-4.

Asian women

Asian women earn their highest share of S&E bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences (7% in 2016, or over 10,600 graduates). For most S&E fields, Asian women’s shares have seen slow increases over the past two decades. Despite small shares, over 1,000 Asian women received bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and statistics and an additional 1,200 received bachelor’s degrees in physical sciences in 2016.

Science and engineering bachelor's degrees earned by Asian women, by field: 2016

Note(s)

Data are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

Source(s)

National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey, unrevised provisional release data. Related detailed data: WMPD table 5-4.