Sergeant Bluff, Iowa-Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School has earned the College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). Schools honored with an AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded access to AP computer science courses for female students in their communities.
During the 2023-24 school year, 1,153 institutions achieved an AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for CSA, CSP or both courses. Award contenders must either have reached 50% or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses or have achieved a percentage of female computer science exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School was one of only 847 recognized for improving female representation in AP CSP.
“We’re thrilled to congratulate our female AP computer science students and their teachers on this step toward equal representation in computer science education,” said [school leadership]. “We’re honored that our school earned this distinction and look forward to seeing these young women and others pursue and achieve success in computer science education and careers.”
“Computer science is the source code of our economy and much of the career landscape,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP Program. “In the seven years since we began the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, it’s been heartening to see schools like Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School welcome so many more young women into this vital field.”
AP Computer Science Principles, which first launched in the 2016-17 school year, continues to grow. In 2024:
175,261 students took the AP CSP Exam—almost 4 times the number of exam takers in the course’s first year.
60,259 female students took the AP CSP Exam, approximately 4 1/2 times the number who tested in 2017.
Overall AP computer science course participation has increased 161% since 2017, which has broadened STEM career opportunities for more students.
Providing young women with access to computer science courses is necessary to ensure gender equity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and representation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for computer and mathematical occupations was $104,200 in 2023. However, women represent just 26.9% of the 6.5 million people employed in the same fields.
That’s why College Board research about AP CSP is so encouraging. According to the data, female students who take AP CSP in high school are more than five times as likely to major in computer science in college, compared to female students of similar background and academic preparation who didn’t take AP CSP. The study also finds AP Computer Science Principles students are nearly twice as likely to enroll in AP Computer Science A (CSA), and that for most students, AP CSP serves as a stepping stone to other advanced AP STEM coursework.
These findings highlight the importance of schools nationwide achieving gender equity in AP computer science classrooms. Overall, female students remain underrepresented in computer science classes. They account for just 34% of AP CSP participants and 26% of AP CSA participants. The 1,153 schools that receive this year’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award serve as inspiration and are models for all U.S. high schools.