In observation of Women's History Month, this blog post presents NCES findings on the learning experiences of female students throughout their education careers as well as the characteristics of female teachers and faculty.
K–12 Education
- In 2019, a larger percentage of U.S. female 12th graders (51 percent) than male 12th graders (42 percent) reported that they were somewhat or more likely to pursue a career in science. Explore more science assessment data from NAEP.
- In 2017–18, women made up 89 percent of public school teachers at the elementary level, 72 percent at the middle school level, and 60 percent at the high school level. Explore more data about elementary and secondary school teachers by sex.
Postsecondary Education
- In 2018–19, female students earned 82 percent of master's degrees conferred in health professions and related programs. Explore more data on master's degrees earned by females in other fields.
- In fall 2019, women made up half (50 percent) of all faculty members at degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Explore more data about the number of postsecondary faculty by sex and by sex, race/ethnicity, and academic rank.
Resources to Learn More
- Undergraduate Enrollment (Condition of Education indicator): Learn how undergraduate female enrollment changed between 2009 and 2019.
- Table 318.10 (Digest of Education Statistics): Explore how the number of degrees awarded to female students has changed since academic year 1869–70.
- International Data Explorer (IDE): Learn about the education of women and girls across the world.
By Kyle Argueta, AIR
