1,153 Schools Earn College Board’s 7th Annual AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award

During the 2023-24 school year, 1,153 institutions earned the College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award by enrolling more female students into computer science courses. Schools earn the recognition by achieving either 50% or higher female exam taker representation in AP Computer Science A and/or AP Computer Science Principles, or a percentage of female computer science exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population.  

The recognition is part of the schools’ and College Board’s shared commitment to increasing female student participation in computer science courses, preparing them for the in-demand jobs of the future, and giving them the opportunity to help solve some of society's most challenging problems.

Of the 1,153 schools that received the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award: 

• 847 schools earned the award for AP Computer Science Principles. 
• 237 schools earned the award for AP Computer Science A. 
• 69 schools earned the award for both AP computer science courses.

In addition: 

• 417 schools earned the award for the first time in 2024. 
• 36 schools earned the award each of the 7 years the award has existed.

As a new course during the 2016-17 school year, AP Computer Science Principles attracted more students than any other AP course debut, and participation continues to rise. In 2024, 175,261 students took the AP CSP Exam—almost four times the number of exam takers in the course’s first year. In 2024, 60,259 women took the AP CSP Exam, more than four times the number who tested in 2017.

AP Computer Science A, which first debuted in 1988, continues to grow. In 2024, 98,136 students took the AP CSA Exam, including 25,811 women─an 81% increase in female participation since 2017.

These findings highlight the importance of schools nationwide achieving gender equity in AP computer science classrooms. Overall, female students remain underrepresented in our high school computer science classes, accounting for just 34% of AP Computer Science Principles participants and 26% of AP Computer Science A participants. Currently, 51% of high schools teach foundational computer science. The 1,153 schools that receive this year’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award in AP CSP, AP CSA, or both courses serve as inspiration and are models for all U.S. high schools.

Deb Wilson, a math and computer science teacher in Illinois, was an engineer before changing careers and shares stories with her students about working in STEM. Wilson started the school’s Girls Coding Club, which focused on showing computer science’s accessibility to young women.

“I ask all my students to create projects that they’re engaged in and show their individual creativity,” Wilson said. “For example, in the intro class, I ask them to create a website for a nonprofit that they’re interested in volunteering at. Similarly, in AP CSP, I ask them to create projects that are interesting to them. Some examples are Disney Princess quizzes, or BuzzFeed quizzes, or the Cooking Fashion app, and any other things that they find interesting. If a student is interested in [a topic], then I let them code it.”

Maddie K., one of Wilson’s students, counts herself lucky to have a female computer science teacher as a role model and mentor. At first, she felt disconnected from the classroom culture when she sat with a table of male classmates, but when she began to sit with her female classmates, together they created a classroom culture with different perspectives. Maddie is considering computer science and business as a double major based on her experience in the course.

“I wasn’t interested in the field until I took an AP computer science course. My interest increased because of having a teacher who pushed me to reach beyond the course requirements,” Maddie said. “While I started to lean toward [an AP] project that simply met the requirements, my teacher insisted that I should stick to my more challenging idea of coding Wordle. I thought that she was crazy. I never thought I would be able to code an app similar to the one that I play daily. Not only was I able to succeed in coding the app. I was also able to find confidence and prove to myself that I could apply computer science to real-world situations.”

Maddie shared that her experience with AP CSP has expanded her knowledge and strengthened her as a person. She said her high school has created an inviting environment for female students and she hopes other schools will be inspired by the success hers has found.