This study provides a contemporary case for exploring the assumed ‘opt out’ phenomenon among early-career female researchers. Based on rich data from a Danish case study, we adopt an integrated, holistic perspective on women's reasons for leaving the academy. We propose the concept of ‘adaptive decision-making’ as a useful analytical starting point for synthesizing structure- and agency-centred perspectives on academic career choices. Our study provides new insights into the myriad of structural and cultural conditions circumscribing the career ambitions and expectations of younger female (and male) researchers, at a critical transition point epitomized by high demands for scholarly productivity, international mobility and accumulation of social capital. Located within the context of Danish higher education, our study also adds to the current discussion of why academic gender stratifications persist in a country renowned for its leading international position on issues of societal gender equality.