Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Pursuing and finishing an undergraduate computing degree: insights from women computing graduates

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges

Publication Date

5-2015

Volume

30

Issue

5

First Page

52

Last Page

59

Abstract

Female underrepresentation in computing academia has been a perplexing problem for researchers to understand and remedy for more than two decades. In the early to mid-1980s, female computing graduation percentages were approximately 35% when compared to males. A steady graduation percentage decline has occurred over the last thirty years with recent data indicating the percentages to be an 82% to 18% split, males to females. The decline stems from the lack of success colleges and universities, who offer computing degree programs, have found in recruiting women and to keep the small numbers who do enroll. Yet, there are women who decide to follow the computing education path and receive a degree. A study was conducted in late 2012 and early 2013 that investigated women who pursued, persisted and finished an undergraduate major in computing resulting in a degree. Major factors leading to a decision to enroll in a computing course of study were found along with primary reasons contributing to women persisting and finishing the degree.

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Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (Publisher)

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