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Is it POSSIBLE that whoever compiled this list didn't base it solely on the percentage of WOMEN at a college who got terminal degrees?!!!
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<p>No, I think the ranking for women's PhDs has to be based on total PhDs awarded to women divided by the number of women who graduated. </p>
<p>Here's why:</p>
<p>The HEDS "Weighted Baccalaureate Origins" Report in the Centre College document looks at the decade of the 1990s.</p>
<p>On their overall PhD production list (male and female), Bryn Mawr is ranked #7 behind six coed schools:</p>
<p>CalTech
Harvey Mudd
Swarthmore
Reed
MIT
Carleton
Bryn Mawr</p>
<p>If the formula for Women's PhDs were female PhDs divided by the total number of graduates (male and female), Bryn Mawr's rate would stay the same (since all of their grads are female), but the schools above it would plummet. Their number of PhDs attained would drop if you just counted the female PhDs, but the denominator would stay the same. Bryn Mawr would almost certainly move to the top of the ranking, certainly surpassing Swarthmore which was historically about 50%/50% male/female. CalTech and Harvey Mudd would have to plummet as they are both 2:1 male/female.</p>
<p>But, the ranking for Women's PhDs really doesn't change that much. Bryn Mawr moves up slightly, but still behind four co-ed schools and the overall order remains unchanged:</p>
<p>CalTech
Harvey Mudd
Swarthmore
Reed
Bryn Mawr
MIT
Carleton</p>
<p>The only conclusion I can draw is that the Women's PhDs rates are based only the female grads of each school.</p>