MAP: Women STEM degrees by county | The Numbers Racket

Each month, the Pennsylvania State Data Center, at Penn State’s Harrisburg campus in Middletown, Pa. creates a “map of the month,” visualizing statewide data statistics on a different topic. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, the data center created a map showing the percentage of women with degrees in science and engineering. Past maps have included the number of parents raising their grandkids and census response rates. 

Here’s what the data center found: 

STEM abound

Statewide, a little more than 40 percent of women have bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering. However, that number varies greatly when viewed from Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. 

The breakdown

From the data, compiled from 2015-2019, the data center was able to visualize  which counties had the highest percentage of women with bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering. 

Just one county had a percentage of women with bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering of more than 45 percent, higher than the statewide average of 40.2 percent. 

• Philadelphia County, more than 45 percent

19 other counties had percentages between 40.1 45 percent. 

They are: 

• Delaware County
• Montgomery County
• Bucks County
• Northampton County
• Lackawanna County
• Luzerne County
• Dauphin County
• Lebanon County
• Potter County
• Tioga County
• Franklin County
• Huntingdon County
• Mifflin County
• Snyder County
• Indiana County
• Venago County
• Erie County
• Crawford County 
• Forest County

Seven more counties had percentages in the 30-35 percent range. 

They include: 

• Perry County
• Fulton County
• Union County 
• Centre County
• Butler County 
• Jefferson County 
• Cambria County

Just two counties have rates less than 30 percent. 

• Sullivan County
• Juniata County

The remaining 38 counties have a percentage in the 35.1 40 percent range.