Women in Mathematics: Study Shows Gains

July 6, 2005

Providence, RI---The comments of Harvard University president Lawrence Summers have brought renewed attention to the participation of women in mathematics and science. A new study to be released on July 6 offers data showing that women are participating in mathematics in greater numbers than ever before.

The study, carried out by the American Mathematical Society in cooperation with three other national organizations, shows that women received close to one-third of all doctorates that were granted in the mathematical sciences in the U.S. during the academic year 2003-2004, the most recent year for which data are available. A total of 333 women received mathematical sciences PhDs that year, the largest number ever recorded since the AMS began gathering statistics on women PhDs more than 30 years ago.

These numbers reflect a longstanding trend of increasing participation by women in the mathematical sciences. The percentage of women receiving PhDs in the field has risen steadily, from around 15 percent in the early 1980s, to the low 20-percent range in the early 1990s, to around 30 percent in recent years.

What is more, women are excelling in the top mathematics departments in the nation. Using rankings published by the National Research Council, the study aggregates data from the 48 top mathematics departments. Women received 25 percent of all doctorates granted by these departments in 2003-2004, up from 21 percent the previous year.

There are other signs that women are making gains in mathematics. Since the early 1990s, women have been receiving around 45 percent of all bachelor's degrees in the subject. Recent years have seen substantial strides by female students in activities such as the Mathematical Olympiad, which is a highly challenging competition for high school students, and the Putnam Competition, which is aimed at undergraduate mathematics majors. In previous years, the high scorers in these competitions were all male.

"These encouraging statistics show that there are plenty of women with a high level of talent in mathematics and a strong motivation to succeed in the field," noted Ellen Kirkman, a professor of mathematics at Wake Forest University and a lead author of the study. "We need to continue to work against the social barriers that historically kept women out of mathematics and to ensure that all students, male and female, have the opportunities and support they need to excel in the field."

The study appears in the August 2005 issue of the Notices of the AMS and is available as a PDF file (140 KB) at http://www.ams.org/notices/200507/survey.pdf. (The study is available free of charge, but registration is required to access material on the Notices site.)

The study is a joint project of the AMS, the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and the Mathematical Association of America.

For Further Information Contact:

Prof. Ellen Kirkman
Professor of Mathematics, Wake Forest University
Telephone: 336-758-5351
Email: kirkman@wfu.edu

Dr. James W. Maxwell
Associate Executive Director, American Mathematical Society
Telephone: 401-455-4101
Email: jwm@ams.org

#  #  #  #

Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 29,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.