Young women in the UK want to pursue STEM subjects and careers, so what’s holding so many of them back?

This is what Walbrook Institute of London investigated in a recent survey of 1,000 female students aged 16-19 across the UK to better understand how they feel about STEM.

The results were – at a glance – encouraging, as 70% of respondents said they were personally interested in STEM subjects.

But despite this enthusiasm, many still hesitate to pursue STEM further – and the reasons why are both relatable and solvable.

From teaching that doesn’t spark curiosity, to the absence of visible female role models, the report pointed to an urgent need to do things differently.

When asked what the top barriers holding them back from pursuing STEM subjects, women rated the effort it takes to study these subjects as the number one barrier (61%), followed by feeling overly challenged in STEM topics (50%).

Following this, 43% said that STEM is too expensive to study as they could not take on a side job due to the high workload, 42% saying the subjects are too difficult, and 38% saying that other people do not believe that they are capable of completing these studies.

The survey also found that school experience plays a huge role in how students perceive STEM. Many describe the content as dry, complicated, or simply not engaging enough to inspire confidence.

About half (51%) of respondents said that teachers teach STEM subjects in a boring or unappealing way.

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Further, the study found that two thirds of students could identify someone working in STEM, but most of those role models were male. The report said that a lack of visible, relatable role models makes it harder for young women to imagine themselves in STEM roles.

The young women surveyed did make many of their career ambitions clear, with 90% saying they wanted to go to university, and 85% rating career success as important to them.

Still, how they measure this success may look different, as 84% want to support their family and be present in their lives, while 81% want to be financially well-off.