Gender and Computer Science Majors: Perceptions and Reality.

Although women typically do as well as or better than men in the introductory computer science course at City University of New York's College of Staten Island, relatively few women even attempt it. This paper is an analysis of the transcripts of five years of computer science majors (n=626; 449 men, 177 women) at that institution. Data reveals that women are doing as well as men throughout the computer science curriculum and are outperforming them at every level of mathematics. Yet a survey of current students showed that both sexes believe that men surpass women in calculus. It is hoped that publication of this data concerning women's mathematical success and aptitude in various media will prove instrumental in persuading women to enter and remain in the computer science field. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/BEW)