Title:

Gender and Racial Diversity in Computing

The computing industry has long been lacking both gender and racial diversity at the professional and college levels. Nationally, approximately 82% of computing degrees are being awarded to White and Asian males. This research studies the diversity in computing the computing industry by analyzing computer science program enrollment at the high school and college levels. Our research addresses three essential questions. First, what percentage of college computing majors are female and/or from a minority race nationally? How do these percentages compare to the University of New Hampshire’s statistics? Next, how does exposure to STEM in early and secondary education relate to the diversity in students in computing majors in college? Finally, what factors contribute most to success in computing majors and jobs for females and minority race students? To address these questions, we collected data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the College Board for AP Exams to analyze the relationship between college and high school computing enrollment. We also reviewed previous research to incorporate what is known about factors for success and failure of minority students in computing. This research will contribute to the understanding of the lack of diversity in computing so solutions can be found.

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