The 2015 Annual Survey of the Mathematical Sciences in the U.S. paints a picture of women’s representation in mathematics.

As of 2015, women are…

41% of undergraduate math majors
28% of new PhDs in the US
25% of current postdocs in math
24% of tenured/tenure-stream math faculty
11% of full professors at PhD-granting institutions

Data provided by the National Mathematics Survey (by Amanda Glazer)

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Why so few?

This 2010 report from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) presents “profiles of eight key research findings that point to environmental and social barriers — including stereotypes, gender bias, and the climate of science and engineering departments in colleges and universities — that continue to block women’s progress in STEM”.

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New PhD Recipients

Among US citizens, 224 women earned PhDs in the mathematical sciences during the 2014-2015 academic year.

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Graduate students

Among US citizens, 224 women earned PhDs in the mathematical sciences during the 2014-2015 academic year.

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Tenure-track Faculty

43% of all full-time female faculty are in bachelors departments.

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It's not just about women.

The CBMS demographic survey, most recently completed in 2010, details the percentage of gender and of racial/ethnic groups among all tenured, tenure-eligible, postdoctoral, and other full-time faculty in mathematics departments of four-year colleges and universities. The data, shown below, underscore the lack of representation of many groups in the mathematical sciences.

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0%
White, male
0%
White, female
0%
Asian, male
0%
Asian, female
0%
Black, male
0%
Black, female
0%
Hispanic, male
0%
Hispanic, female

The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) represents more than 3000 members and 200 institutions in the United States and around the world. This Springer’s AWM Series presents the latest research and proceedings of conferences worldwide organized by the AWM. 

LINK TO SERIES
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What about other measures of representation?

A recent study tried to investigate the relative influence of women in mathematical research by surveying the editorial boards of math journals. Among 435 research journals in mathematics, women hold only 8.9% of journal editorships, compared to 15% of tenured or tenure-eligible positions in doctoral-granting mathematics departments. Fifty-one of the journals in this sample have no women editors.
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Learn more about the WATCH US team and findings from the WATCH US Research on Women in Science

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