Women, Men, and Academic Performance in Science and Engineering: The Gender Difference in Undergraduate Grade Point Averages.

GENDER differences in education; GRADE point average; WOMEN engineering students; WOMEN science students; COLLEGE graduates; SOCIAL ecology; STEM education; ENGINEERING education in universities & colleges; SCIENCE education (Higher)

The article discusses the relation of undergraduate grade point averages (GPAs) to gender disparity among U.S. graduates in science and engineering fields. It presents a study based on data from the Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) and from a survey of 499 registrars. The study reportedly found no declines in female GPAs due to the social ecology of male majority departments, relatively higher GPAs among female students not at major research universities, and ambiguity concerning the reasons for higher female than male GPAs in science and engineering disciplines.