Women in Physics and Astronomy

Contact: Rachel IvieStatistical Research Center

American Institute of Physicsrivie@aip.org

Data Sources

• Statistical Research Center, AIP– Arnell Ephraim– Garrett Anderson– Michael Neuschatz– Raymond Chu– Roman Czujko– Patrick Mulvey– Mark McFarling– Judith Mulvey

• Supported by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation• National Science Foundation• National Center for Education Statistics

(caspar.nsf.gov)

In US, women earn·    >55% of all bachelor's degrees·    >45% of all PhDs

In Astronomy (2005), women earned·    40% of bachelor's degrees·    33% of PhDs

In Physics (2005), women earned·    21% of bachelor's degrees·    14% of PhDs

Sources: National Science Foundation, National Center for Education Statistics, AIP Statistical Research Center.

1987 1990 1993 1997 2001 2005

39%41%

43%

47% 46% 47%

Source: AIP High School Physics Teacher Surveys

Girls as a percentage of high school physics students

Percent of physics bachelor's and PhDs earned by women, 1975 to 2005.

AIP Statistical Research Center: Enrollments and Degrees Survey.

75 80 85 90 95 '000

4

8

12

16

20

24

Bachelor's

PhD

Year of Degree

Percent

2005

AIP Statistical Research Center: Enrollments and Degrees Survey.

Percent of Degrees Earned by Women in Astronomy, 1972-2005

Bachelors

1972 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 20050%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Bachelors

PhD

Percent of Bachelor’s Degrees Earned by Women in Selected Fields, 1966-2004.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics. Data for Academic Year 1999 were not available. Compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center.

1966 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 20040%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

ALL FIELDSBIOLOGICAL SCICHEMISTRYCOMPUTER SCIMATHEMATICSPHYSICSENGINEERING

1958 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 20050%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

All FieldsBiological SciencesChemistryMathematicsPhysicsEngineering

Percent of PhDs earned by women in selected fields, 1958-2005

National Science Foundation. Data compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center.

1920 19301930 19401940 19501950 19601960 19701970 19801980 19901990 20050

10

20

30

40

50

All Fields

PhysicalSciences

Physics

Year of Degree

Percent

Percent of PhDs awarded to women in selected fields, 1920-2005.

National Research Council, National Opinion Research Center , and National Science Foundation. Data compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center.

Teachers and Faculty (2005-2006) 

31% of high school physics teachers are women.

17% of astronomy faculty are women.

  13% of physics faculty are women. 

11% of physics department chairs are women.

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center.

13 10 8OVERALL

19 1411 Bachelor’s

16 13 9 Master’s

107 6 PhD

Type of Department

12 1513 Other ranks

19 16 N/A Instructor/Adjunct

17 16 17 Assistant Prof.

14 11 10 Associate Prof.

6 5 3 Full Professor

Academic Rank

2006 2002 1998

AIP Statistical Research Center, 2006 Academic Workforce Survey.

Percent of faculty positions in physics held by women.

Percent of astronomy faculty positions held by women.

Academic Rank 2003 2006

Full professor 10 11

Associate professor 23 24

Assistant professor 23 28

Instructor/Adjunct 15 15

Other Ranks 15 21

Overall 14 17

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center. Stand-alone astronomy departments only.

PhD Master's Bachelor's Total0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percent of physics departments with women faculty in professorial ranks, 2006

AIP Statistical Research Center, 2006 Academic Workforce Survey.

Full Professor

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Instructor/Adjunct

Visiting Professor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100Males Females

Percent

Current positions of new physics faculty by gender, 2006

AIP Statistical Research Center, 2006 Academic Workforce Survey.

Most current statistics:

About 50% of high school physics students are girls.

Percent Women

Physics Astronomy

Bachelor’s 21 40

PhDs 14 33

Faculty 13 17

…Leaky pipeline?

High school to undergraduate

 In 2001, 46% of high school physics students were female.

 In 2005, women earned 21% of bachelor's degrees in physics.

In 2005, women earned 40% of bachelor’s degrees in astronomy.  

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center.

Undergraduate to Graduate

In 2004-05, women earned 21% of bachelor’s degrees in physics.

In Fall 2005, 23% of entering physics graduate students were women.

In academic years ending 2004 and 2005

(combined), women earned 39% of bachelor’s

degrees in astronomy.

In Fall 2004 and 2005 (combined), 39% of

entering astronomy grad students were women.Source: AIP Statistical Research Center

Graduate School

In 1998 &1999, 19% of entering physics graduate students were women.

In 2005, women earned 14% of of physics PhDs.

In 1998 & 1999, 28% of entering astronomy graduate students were women.

In 2005, women earned 33% of astronomy PhDs.

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center.

Representation of women physics faculty compared to percentage earning PhDs

17131994-2000Asst. Professor

14101985-1993Assoc. Professor

641969-1983Full Professor

% Women Faculty, 2006

Average % PhDs to Women

Dates of PhD

Dates of PhD are for middle 50% of faculty respondents to the 2004 AIP Membership Survey.

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center.

Representation of women astronomy faculty compared to percentage earning PhDs

28211996-1999Asst. Professor

24131984-1993Assoc. Professor

1181971-1984Full Professor

% Women Faculty, 2006

Average % PhDs to Women

Dates of PhD

Dates of PhD are for middle 50% of faculty respondents to the 2004 AIP Membership Survey.

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center.

1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 200410

20

30

40

50

60

70

Hispanic and African-American women receivingphysics bachelor’s degrees

National Center for Education Statistics. Data for academic year 1999 not available.Compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center.

Number

Hispanic-American

African-American

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

2000 - 2005

1994 - 1999

1988 - 1993

1982 - 1987

1976 - 1981

2000 - 2005

1994 - 1999

1988 - 1993

1982 - 1987

1976 - 1981

68

49

43

44

34

19

16

1

3

3

Number of PhDs

Males

Females

Number of Physics PhDs earned by African American Males and Females, 1976-2005.

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center analyzed data collected by the National Science Foundation.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

2000 - 2005

1994 - 1999

1988 - 1993

1982 - 1987

1976 - 1981

2000 - 2005

1994 - 1999

1988 - 1993

1982 - 1987

1976 - 1981

96

121

97

56

52

16

19

13

9

2

Number of PhDs

Males

Females

Number of Physics PhDs earned by Hispanic American Males and Females, 1976-2005.

Source: AIP Statistical Research Center analyzed data collected by the National Science Foundation.

Why more women in astronomy than physics?

• No one knows for sure

• Hypotheses– Climate is better in astronomy than in physics– Critical mass: sociologists have theory that

underrepresented groups have to reach a certain threshold before newcomers see field as viable option