Gender inequities in STEM-related fields are a thing of the long past, right? Ever so regrettably, despite making important strides toward gender inclusion, engineering, math, and computer science remain largely male-dominated fields.

According to the National Science Foundation’s 2023 report, Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities, women made up 51 percent of the total US population (ages 18 to 74) but only one-third of those employed in STEM occupations, with their wages consistently lower than those of men in the same positions. As a result, it should come as no surprise that female students often feel intimidated, excluded, or even unwelcome in their STEM classes as compared to their male counterparts. In addition to looking at the retention and graduation rates of institutions, it is important to consider the percentage of students who find employment within two years of graduating. As independent educational consultants (IECs), here are specific criteria to consider when evaluating “good-fit” colleges for our female students who want to pursue STEM majors.

Ratio of Male to Female

A good starting point is to look at the enrollment ratio between male and female applicants and consider a college that is balanced. The College Factual website is an excellent resource, as it provides a breakdown of a college’s female to male diversity numbers. Olin College of Engineering, Harvey Mudd, and the University of Michigan are examples of colleges that have balanced 50:50 male to female ratios. Many institutions have prioritized bringing more women into their STEM programs, so it is a good idea to check with a college’s admissions representative about any institutional priorities that may impact young women enrolling in STEM programs. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is one such institution with goals related to increasing female diversity in STEM.

Faculty or Staff Women Role Models and Mentors

It is critical for women to have role models to guide them in their journey to STEM careers. Checking to be sure the college has a number of women faculty and staff members who teach classes and conduct research helps set female students up for success. Asking if the college has mentorship programs geared toward women students is something important to consider. The Women@MIT mentorship program, the Women in STEM mentorship program at Stanford, and the UC Davis Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS) initiative specifically provide mentorship, networking, and research opportunities for their women students.

Professional Organizations and Clubs for Women in STEM

Your female students should explore whether the colleges they are considering have STEM-focused professional organizations and student-run clubs that they could join to attend events and network with peers and professionals. The Society of Women Engineers, the Association for Women in Computing, the Association for Women in Mathematics, the Association for Women Geoscientists, and the Women Chemists Committee are some examples of professional organizations. Additionally, Stanford Women in Computer Science and Stanford Sisters in STEM are some examples of student-run clubs exclusively for female students.

Living Learning Communities Focused on Women

Besides making a large school feel a lot smaller, having a residential community focused on providing women support and resources sets them up for success. Women in Science and Engineering is one such Living Learning Community at the University of Michigan that seeks to support women in STEM.

Women’s Colleges with a Focus on STEM

Women’s-only colleges with a STEM focus provide opportunities for technical, leadership, and professional development. Spelman and Wellesley are two such liberal arts institutions with strong STEM programs and active alumni networks. Smith College is another example, with 40 percent of students majoring in STEM and a campus equipped with a state-of-the-art research facility and eight research centers.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Internship Opportunities

Colleges might offer scholarships for women to pursue research in the STEM fields. One such example is the College of Saint Mary’s Marie Curie Scholarship, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The scholarship is specifically for women seeking bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, mathematics, or human biology. The NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Internship Program at Penn State offers the opportunity for women interested in science and engineering research to work with a faculty mentor in a research lab.

Colleges might offer scholarships for women to pursue research in the STEM fields.

In addition to scholarships and grants offered by institutions, there are outside scholarships available to women pursuing STEM majors in college. For example, the American Physical Society and IBM co-sponsor a research internship for undergraduate women in physics and related fields, matching students with an IBM mentor to work on research projects. One of the goals of this internship is to encourage women and minorities to pursue graduate studies in science and engineering.

By Vita Cohen, MA, MAT, CEP, IECA (IL) and Jyoti Jain, MBA, IECA (CA)