According to the American Association of University women, women hold just 28 percent of jobs in STEM fields in the U.S.. This disparity contributes to the wage gap and a variety of other inequalities, and the disparity starts long before women get to college.
Among K–12 students, a recent national study by YouScience uncovered a significant career exposure gap for female students, as their aptitude scores for STEM-related occupations far outweighed their self-defined interest in them. In fact, the research showed that female high school students demonstrated 10 times more aptitude than interest in some STEM career fields like architecture and engineering.