The Myth of Female Under-Representation in STEM
SAVE
September 7, 2023
Higher education leaders often claim that women are underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Like so much else in higher ed, this claim is false. A recent series of posts explains why.
Ever wondered why you hear ‘35% of stem graduates are women’, when HESAs own data show actually 54% of STEM graduates are women? Here’s the hidden secret of “STEM:”
‘STEM’ is a carefully crafted political term that removes the sciences in which women are over represented.
Biology (where women dominate) is not considered to be “STEM”… medicine… psychology… veterinary science… neuroscience… none of these are considered to be “STEM.”
Breakdowns by Sex of Several Science Fields that are Excluded from the STEM Definition
| Field | Female Share | Reference (listed at end of article) |
| Nursing | 82% | (1) |
| Veterinary Medicine | 81% | (2) |
| Psychology | 79.1% | (3) |
| Biology | 63.2% | (3) |
| Medicine | 53.8% | (4) |
Case Study: Veterinary Medicine
As seen in the table above, women account for 81% of veterinary students nationwide. This female share is one of the highest sex disparities among professional programs. In light of this discrepancy, you’d think veterinary medicine leaders would be starting outreach programs to encourage more male students.
Instead of correcting the imbalance, they’ve allowed it to become significantly worse. Below are data from Iowa State’s veterinary medicine program.
Before 2017, the male share of the class ranged between 22% and 30%. Starting about eight years ago, however, the share of male students has been cut almost in half and held steady (with two exceptions) at 17%:
Male Student Enrollments at Iowa State Veterinary Medicine Program
| Grad Class | Male % |
| 2026 | 17.6% |
| 2025 | 18.2% |
| 2024 | 17.8% |
| 2023 | 17.5% |
| 2022 | 13.4% |
| 2021 | 17.4% |
| 2020 | 22.6% |
| 2019 | 17.5% |
| 2018 | 20.0% |
| 2017 | 24.0% |
| 2016 | 24.2% |
| 2015 | 25.5% |
| 2014 | 28.8% |
| 2013 | 31.5% |
| 2012 | 26.4% |
| 2011 | 24.0% |
| 2010 | 22.5% |
| 2009 | 23.3% |
These numbers are even more inexplicable when you consider there is a substantial shortage of large animal vets nationwide.
Women Vets Shun Work on the Farm
Female veterinarians generally prefer small animal practices over large animal practices, which has contributed to shortages of large animal vets:
The growing ranks of female vets prefer a career looking after pets than pigs or cattle https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/30/gender.ruralaffairs
Wanted: More large-animal veterinarians. https://www.farmprogress.com/animal-health/why-large-animal-vets-are-in-short-supply
In conclusion, the claim that females are underrepresented in science fields is a myth.
References:
(1) “What Percentage of Student Nurses Are Female,” available at https://www.zippia.com/answers/what-percentage-of-student-nurses-are-female/
(2) “The Gender Divide — Truth be told, misogyny is a problem in veterinary medicine. Our increasingly female profession can take constructive steps to even the playing field,” available at https://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/misogyny-veterinary-profession/ (“According to data from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, women comprise 81% of DVM students.”)
(3) “Chart of the Day: Female Shares of Bachelor’s Degrees by Field, 1971 to 2019, available at https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/chart-of-the-day-female-shares-of-ba-degrees-by-field-1971-to-2019/ (“In 2019, women [earned] more than 62% of the bachelor’s degrees in 9 out of the 16 academic fields: Health Professions (84.3% and the greatest gender imbalance for either sex for the 16 majors), Public Administration (82.7% and the field with the second-highest gender imbalance), Education (82.0% and the field with the third-highest female share and the greatest share ever), Psychology (79.1% and a record high female share), English (71.3% and a record female share), Foreign Languages (69.1%), Communication and Journalism (65.6%, a new record high), Biology (63.2%, a new record high)”). (emphasis added)
(4) “The nation’s medical schools grow more diverse,” available at https://www.aamc.org/news/nation-s-medical-schools-grow-more-diverse (“Women again accounted for the majority of applicants (56.5%), matriculants (55.6%), and total enrollment (53.8%) — the fourth consecutive year that women made up the majority of all three groups.”)