Despite the fact that women have written many acclaimed novels, schools still teach mostly books by male authors. In fact, only one out of every three assigned books is written by a woman.
The main reason is that men are significantly less likely to read a book by a woman than women are to read a book by a man.
WordTips analyzed over 300,000 English literature syllabi in U.S. colleges available on OpenSyllabus to come up with the list of the most assigned women authors and novels in American college classes.
The analysis is accompanied by a series of infographics that I’m presenting below.
Click on every image to see it enlarged. Make sure to visit the original post for detailed information and the remaining visuals.
Founded back in 2009, Word Tips is a website that provides tips and advice on writing, grammar, and punctuation. A team of writers and editors provide clear and concise explanations of grammar rules and writing techniques.
Top 50 most assigned novels by women authors in U.S. colleges
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the most assigned novel by a woman in U.S. colleges. It features in 4,789 syllabi, and it is the most assigned novel by a woman in 41 states.
Top 50 most assigned women novelists in U.S. colleges
Virginia Woolf is the most assigned woman author in U.S. colleges. Her works have appeared 8,054 times across U.S. college syllabi.
Top 15 most assigned novels by women authors in U.S. – Ivy League vs. public colleges
The most common 15 novels in the Ivy League were written by 9 women. 13 different novelists are responsible for the top books in public colleges.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the most assigned novel in the Ivy League (107 times) and public colleges in the U.S. (220 times)
Top 15 most assigned women novelists in U.S. – Ivy League vs. public colleges
The most assigned woman author in the Ivy League is Toni Morrison, appearing 278 times in college syllabi. Virginia Woolf is the most assigned woman author in the U.S. public colleges (529 times).
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