Gender Differences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in HS

Key finding include:

•    Compared to males, higher percentages of female high school graduates took algebra II, precalculus, advanced biology, chemistry, and health science/technology courses.

•    Generally, among high school graduates who had earned credits in specific mathematics and science courses, males had higher average NAEP mathematics and NAEP science scale scores than females.

Compared to males, lower percentages of female high school graduates reported that they liked mathematics or science and that mathematics or science was one of their favorite subjects.

“Gender Differences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Interest, Credits Earned, and NAEP Performance in the 12th Grade,” a Statistics in Brief that describes high school graduates’ attitudes toward STEM courses (specifically, mathematics and science), credits earned in STEM fields, and performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics and science assessments in 2009.