Work

One million more: assessing a decade of progress in undergraduate STEM education

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT As recent policy decisions in the United States threaten the infrastructure for educational data collection and analysis, evidence-based assessment of higher education outcomes is increasingly vital. This analysis evaluates progress in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education against national priorities established in the 2012 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Engage to Excel report. Using data over the last decade, I examined outcomes related to three key goals of the report: producing one million additional STEM graduates, improving retention rates, and increasing demographic representation. Annual STEM degree production grew substantially, with cumulative totals exceeding PCAST’s target of “one million more” by 16%. The proportion of STEM degrees among all degrees conferred increased over the decade, reversing previous declining trends. STEM employment expanded correspondingly, with growth surpassing the report’s projections. Recent longitudinal cohort analyses demonstrate bachelor’s-level STEM students now complete degrees at rates comparable to or higher than non-STEM peers. Demographic representation showed mixed progress, with substantial gains for Hispanic students and women, while representation gaps persist for Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students. These findings demonstrate successes in degree production, retention, and representation for several demographic groups, providing an evidence-based foundation for evaluating investments and guiding future strategies to strengthen America’s STEM talent development. To maintain America’s scientific leadership position in an increasingly competitive global landscape, continued collection of and access to robust national educational data remains essential for monitoring progress toward these critical national goals.

Source: Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education

DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00155-25

Author: Haider Ali Bhatti

Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz

Language: English

Topic: Higher Education Research Studies

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,700