Gender and Computer Science at Harvard

Abstract

In recent years, students and faculty at Harvard have made a wide range of efforts to foster gender diversity in computer science. These efforts are likely responsible for a recent increase in female concentrators, but even with this growth, women remain vastly underrepresented in the concentration, comprising just 28% of concentrators. To determine what actions to take next, it is crucial to understand why women at Harvard are so much less likely than men to study computer science today. A wealth of research external to Harvard has investigated factors that deter women from studying computer science, such as stereotypes, culture, and confidence, but it is unclear how these factors play out at Harvard. To investigate the impact of these factors, we administered a survey on experience with computer science at Harvard to undergraduates. We received 417 responses, including 113 from computer science concentrators. We also conducted in-person follow up interviews with 20 of these respondents. The survey and interviews included questions about why respondents chose to study computer science, the experience they had in the department, and how they perceived on-campus culture. Some of the findings from the surveys and interviews are encouraging; for example, women and men do not show gender differences in their interest in computer science, and there are no gender differences among concentrators in interest in pursuing a technical path. Additionally, we found that stereotypes surrounding technology are less pervasive after students have been exposed to computer science. However, we also found that women feel less comfortable approaching faculty members, in addition to experiencing low confidence in their technical abilities. We found that the culture of the computer science department, which is largely male-dominated, often makes women feel unwelcome, excluded, or under-confident. Based on these findings, we recommend several actions the department can take to better encourage women in computer science.