While many believe that women’s battle for gender parity in the workplace has already been won, recent data suggest that this is far from reality. Although women now earn the majority of all college degrees and are well represented in entry- and mid-level positions in most sectors of the economy, they have made surprisingly little progress in advancing to chief executive positions.
Data from the American Council on Education’s
American College President Study (ACPS) report show how the statistics regarding women in higher education leadership have been progressing. Still, there are many improvements that need to be made regarding women in higher education:
- Women remain outnumbered by men in the college presidency by a ratio of 2:1, with about 33 percent of presidencies currently held by women
- Women aspire to the presidency, on average, 3.3 years later than men. However, on average, once women do apply, they are ascending to the presidency more quickly
- Women were less likely to report a realistic assessment of challenges and clear expectations by the board and/or system disclosed during the search process
- Nearly six in 10 women arrive to the presidency from a faculty or academic career pathway
- Women were more likely to work a part-time or reduced schedule or postpone a job search or promotion to care for minor dependents
Use the button below to explore more data about women in the presidency.
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