When D was looking at LACs last year, I looked at the fraction of math majors that were women. Being around other women who were math majors would make for a more supportive environment I figured. Here are some of those numbers:
From these pages
http://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/harvey-mudd-college/academic-life/academic-majors/mathematics-and-statistics/
Fraction of math majors that go to women 2014 - 2015; A few of the one’s that D considered. Didn’t apply to all these. In parentheses is the # of undergrad degrees awarded.
15% Wesleyan (39)
22% Reed (9)
25% Harvey Mudd (12)
25% Williams (57)
26% Bowdoin (46)
34% Carleton (38)
36% Swarthmore (25)
37% Amherst (60)
37% Pomona (46)
38% Colby (34)
38% Whitman (24)
39% Middlebury (18)
43% St Olaf (68)
50% Bates (26)
100% Smith (alas D wouldn’t consider a women’s college)
I am a female applied mathematician and know many female mathematicians and computer scientists. You have to put up with a bit of misogyny as a women in these fields. Those that stick around are those that are tougher and can brush that off. I think STEM departments could support young women majoring in STEM more simply by being honest that this happens and trying to create systems that don’t encourage bias. So many studies have shown that an application (like for faculty position or grad school in STEM) with a man’s name on it is rated more highly than that with a female’s name on it. I think it likely that this happens in grading also—though I have not seen studies to that effect. So far my D (math major) has really great support from her math advisor. The misogyny is low-grade standard stuff from male students in class—ignoring the female students and giving the blank stare when the females suggest an approach in the group sessions. I’m hopeful that’ll reduce when she’s in classes that are just for majors.