Women in Academia in Virginia
How women in academia fare in Virginia — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.
The state-adjusted picture
Women in academia nationally face the same structural conditions as women in every other field — but the overall wage environment in Virginia modifies the baseline by -0.2% relative to the US average. A state where the overall pay gap is narrower tends to reflect narrower gaps within fields too, though field-specific dynamics dominate for specialized professions.
Virginia has never elected a woman US Senator.
National context
Women now earn the majority of US doctorates and the majority of early-career postdocs — but hold 33% of full professorships. The leaky pipeline isn't about the front end anymore; it's about tenure, administrative roles, and the step from associate to full professor.
National headline stats (academia)
Other fields in Virginia
Academia in other states
Related pages
Frequently asked
What is the pay gap for women in academia in Virginia?
Virginia’s overall pay ratio is 83.6% — a 16.4% gap. The gap within academia follows the national pattern modified by Virginia’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.
How does Virginia rank on pay equity?
Virginia ranks #19 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.
How are women represented in Virginia politics?
31.4% of Virginia state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 3 women from Virginia serve in the 119th US Congress.
Where does the national academia data come from?
NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates; AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey; American Council on Education — Women in Leadership