Why Do Women Leave Academia?

Women leave academia at higher rates than men, but the factors affecting this trend are complex and demand further investigation.

Evidence from past studies has shown that women leave academic faculty positions more frequently than men for very specific reasons. However, these studies have historically been limited to high reputation STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs at colleges and universities. They also tend to focus on rates of employment instead of reasons why women are leaving academia.

In a 2023 study by Spoon et al., the researchers did a wide-scale survey to fill these gaps. They investigated a series of fields, ensuring coverage of both men and women dominated fields. 10,300 current and former faculty members across institutions and fields were surveyed, answering questions about stressors in the work place. Former faculty were also surveyed on the reasons they quit their jobs.

The study revealed that earlier in their careers, women experienced work/life balance issues, and experienced a feeling of not belonging in their workplaces later in their careers. Notably, women are more likely than men to feel pushed away from their current job, rather than pulled toward better opportunities.

This study illuminates a very nuanced topic with complexities and variations between departments, institutions, age and more. Future research is crucial in this area to expand our understanding of gendered rates of departing academic positions.

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Study Details

Sample size(s): Out of 73,049 faculty members contacted, a cohort of 10,300 individuals participated in the survey

Participants: N/A

Design: Longitudinal study

Reference:

Spoon, K., LaBerge, N., Wapman, K. H., Zhang, S., Morgan, A. C., Galesic, M., Fosdick, B. K., Larremore, D. B., & Clauset, A. (2023). Gender and retention patterns among U.S. faculty. Science advances, 9(42), eadi2205. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi2205

Summarized by WinSights team member Claire Christoff

Edited by: Margie Christ, Bilal Rashid