A notable amount of students who earned a degree in a science, technology, engineering or math field did so through a certificate or associate program, according to a recent National Center for Education Statistics report.
The statistics presented in the Students Who Study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in Postsecondary Education report could help underscore the role secondary and postsecondary CTE programs play in national efforts to strengthen the STEM education pipeline.
The study focuses on undergraduate students’ entrance into STEM studies and examines longitudinal data from the 1995-96 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, which includes a nationally representative sample of about 12,000 first-time students who enroll in postsecondary education. The students were interviewed in 1998 and 2001 to gather data on their persistence of their education, degree attainment and other information. About 23 percent of those undergraduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions declared their major in a STEM field.
Among those STEM students, about 39 percent attained certificate, and 30 percent attained an associate’s degree in the field. Further, nearly 8 percent of those who earned an associate’s degree moved on to earn a bachelor’s degree in STEM, according to the report.
The findings complement a growing body of data that support the need for programs that prepare students for a competitive workforce bound for a STEM- and skill-focused economy.