Females are studying STEM degrees just as much as males, finally!

It’s the ‘Year of the Woman’ and we’ve heard a lot about continuing gender inequality, from pay gaps to the ratio difference between men and women in certain industries. But did you know females are making waves in the STEM sector, which includes some of the most previously male-dominated occupations?

RS Components has created a graphic that has analysed 10 university degrees in STEM to find out the male-to-female ratio of students that graduated in these subjects in 2016/17. The results are pleasantly surprising, with women dominating courses in Veterinary science, Medicine and Dentistry. With the UK being one of the world’s leaders for research, innovation and technology, combined with jobs in the industry expected to grow at double the rate of other occupations, this is a major and exciting breakthrough for women.

• Women made up over half of graduates who gained a STEM degree in 2016-17 – just beating the boys at 51.4%
• Out of the 10 degrees analysed, five were dominated by women – the degree subjects included Veterinary science, Biological sciences and Medicine & Dentistry
• Males continue to dominate degrees in Mathematical sciences, Computer Sciences and Engineering & technology – both Computer sciences and Engineering & technology had a disappointing 19% of female students
• The most popular STEM degree subjects overall are allied to medicine – in total there were 84,895 people who graduated in this area, with careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing and other allied fields

Graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are critical to the UK economy, with research suggesting jobs are expected to grow at double the rate of other occupations, creating 142,000 jobs between now and 2023. To meet the increased demand for roles, it’s vital that women and men continue to study STEM-related subjects at school, further education and higher education. View our graphic below to find out the latest breakdown of STEM graduates in the UK.

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