Students Who Study Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in 

Postsecondary Education 

Introduction 

Rising concern about America’s ability to maintain its competitive 

position in the global economy has renewed interest in STEM education. In 2005, for example, three preeminent U.S. scientific 

groups—the National Academy of Science, the National Academy 

of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine—jointly issued a 

report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing 

America for a Brighter Economic Future, that called for strengthening the STEM pipeline from primary through postsecondary education (National Academy of Science 2005). This report 

recommended increasing investment in STEM programs, enhancing the STEM teaching force, and enlarging the pool of students 

pursuing degrees and careers in STEM fields. Similar policy recommendations have come from other organizations and government agencies (Government Accountability Office 2006; National 

Science Board 2007; U.S. Department of Education 2006). 

Although information about the number of students completing 

degrees in STEM fields is available (Goan and Cunningham 2006; 

U.S. Department of Education 2008), less is known about students’ undergraduate progress through the STEM pipeline (Anderson and Kim 2006). This Statistics in Brief focuses on 

undergraduate students, examining students’ entrance into and 

persistence toward degree completion in STEM fields. It is designed to provide a profile of undergraduates who pursue and complete STEM degrees. It addresses three questions: (1) Who enters 

STEM fields? (2) What are their educational outcomes (i.e., persisAUTHOR 

Xianglei Chen 

MPR Associates, Inc. 

Thomas Weko 

Project Officer 

National Center for Education Statistics 

CONTENTS 

Introduction .......................................... 1

Entrance Into STEM Fields: 

An Overall Picture ............................ 3

Who Enters STEM Fields? ................... 7

Postsecondary Outcomes 

After 6 Years.................................... 7

Persistence in STEM Fields ............... 10

Summary ........................................... 17

References ........................................ 18

Technical Notes ................................. 19

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Contact: 

Aurora D’Amico 

(202) 502-7334 

aurora.d’amico@ed.gov

Stats 

in Brief U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2009-161 

July 2009 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 2 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

tence and degree completion) several years after beginning postsecondary education? (3) Who persisted in and 

completed a STEM degree after entrance into a STEM 

field of study? 

Definition of STEM Fields and Entrance 

What Are STEM Fields? STEM fields can include a wide 

range of disciplines. For example, the National Science 

Foundation (NSF) defines STEM fields broadly, including not only the common categories of mathematics, 

natural sciences, engineering, and computer and information sciences, but also such social/behavioral sciences 

as psychology, economics, sociology, and political 

science (Green 2007). Many recent federal and state legislative efforts, however, are aimed at improving STEM 

education mainly in mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, and technologies (Kuenzi, Matthews, and Mangan 2006; National Governors Association 2007). For 

this reason, this Statistics in Brief excludes social/ 

behavioral sciences from the definition of STEM fields. 

STEM fields, as defined here, include mathematics; natural sciences (including physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences); engineering/engineering 

technologies; and computer/information sciences. For 

more details about classifications of STEM fields, see the 

crosswalk in the Technical Notes section.

How Is Entrance Into a STEM Field Defined? To identify students entering STEM fields, this Statistics in Brief 

uses their reported major field of study and considers 

anyone a STEM entrant if that student has reported a 

major (first or second major if that information is available) in a STEM field at any time during his or her postsecondary enrollment (to the extent that the data allow). 

This definition attempts to capture all students who enter STEM fields, including early entrants, later entrants, 

those who changed majors, and those with a second major in a STEM field. For example, in the 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study 

(BPS:96/01) (the major data source for this study), 

STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as 

reported in the base-year survey of 1995–96 and in the 

1998 and 2001 follow-up surveys. Students reporting a 

STEM major field of study at one or more of these three 

times are considered STEM entrants between 1995–96 

and 2001.1

 In the 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04) and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002/06 (ELS:02/06) (two additional 

data sources for this study), STEM entrance is identified 

by students’ major and secondary major field reported at 

the time of interview. For brevity, this study refers to 

students who entered STEM fields as STEM entrants and 

those who never entered (including those with only nonSTEM majors and those with an undeclared major2

) as 

non-STEM entrants. 

Data Sources and Analysis Samples 

This study primarily uses longitudinal data from the 

1995−96 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01). This survey began in 1995–96 

with a nationally representative sample of approximately 

12,000 first-time students who enrolled in postsecondary 

education in 1995–96. These students were interviewed 

again in 1998 and, for the last time, in 2001, about 6 

years after their initial college entry. The longitudinal 

design of BPS permits examination of student entrance, 

persistence, and attainment in STEM fields over the period of time in which most students complete a bache-

 

1

 This definition draws upon longitudinal data available 

through BPS:96/01, but it has limitations. BPS:96/01 did not 

collect comprehensive historical data on students’ major field 

during their enrollment between 1995–96 and 2001. Rather, 

data on students’ major were collected at each data collection 

point: 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Because students could have 

had an unreported STEM major between the data collection 

points, the number of STEM entrants may be underestimated. 

2

 This study treated students who did not declare a major differently from those who did not report a major. The former 

group consisted of students who were still exploring and undecided about the field of study at the time of interview, whereas 

the latter group consisted of those who may have a major but 

declined to report it. Thus, students who did not declare a 

major are included in the analysis of this study, whereas students who did not report a major were treated as “missing” 

and therefore, excluded from the analysis. 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 3 

lor’s degree. To examine students’ paths to STEM degrees, this study used a sample of about 9,000 BPS students who participated in the initial survey in 1996 and 

the two follow-up surveys in 1998 and 2001 and who 

reported a major (including “undeclared major”) in at 

least one of three data collections. 

This study also draws data from two other surveys to 

provide information about STEM participation among 

different undergraduate populations. The first is the 

2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 

(NPSAS:04), a cross-sectional survey of undergraduate 

and graduate/first-professional students enrolled in U.S. 

postsecondary institutions in 2003–04. Focusing on all 

undergraduates (a sample of about 80,000), NPSAS:04 

provides information about the prevalence of STEM 

majors among U.S. undergraduates in 2003–04. The 

second data source is the Education Longitudinal Study 

of 2002/06 (ELS:02/06). Unlike BPS and NPSAS, 

which include postsecondary students of all ages, ELS 

represents a more homogeneous group: high school graduates from the senior class of 2004. Using a subsample 

of these graduates who were enrolled in postsecondary 

education in 2006 (about 8,500), this study examines 

STEM entrance among a more traditional college-age 

population. For details on the BPS:96/01, NPSAS:04, 

and ELS:02/06 data, see the Technical Notes below. 

All findings reported below are descriptive and do not 

imply any causal relationship. All comparisons in this 

study were tested for statistical significance using Student’s t statistic to ensure that differences were larger 

than might be expected due to sampling variation. All 

differences cited are statistically significant at the .05 

level. Adjustments were not made for multiple comparisons. Consequently, some differences noted here might 

not be significant if a multiple comparison procedure 

was used. Standard errors for all estimates are available at 

http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp. 

Organization of the Statistics in Brief 

This Statistics in Brief is organized into four major sections. The first section provides an overview of STEM 

entrance among various undergraduate populations. The 

next section looks at the demographic and academic characteristics of students who entered STEM fields in postsecondary education. The third section examines rates of 

overall persistence and degree completion for both students who entered STEM fields and those who did not. 

The last section focuses on only STEM entrants and examines their rates of persistence and degree completion 

in STEM fields. 

Entrance Into STEM Fields: An Overall 

Picture 

How many postsecondary students entered STEM 

fields? Answers to this question depend on the undergraduate population and period of enrollment examined. 

Based on a nationally representative undergraduate sample from NPSAS:04, some 14 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions in 

2003–04 were enrolled in a STEM field, including 5 

percent in computer/information sciences, 4 percent in 

engineering/engineering technologies, 3 percent in biological/agricultural sciences, and less than 1 percent each 

in physical sciences and mathematics (table 1). 

Although NPSAS:04 covers undergraduates of all ages, 

ELS:02/06 looked at students who were of traditional 

college age: some 15 percent of 2003–04 high school 

graduates enrolled in postsecondary education in 2006 

reported a STEM major. Compared to students in 

NPSAS:04, the traditional college-age students of 

ELS:02/06 enrolled in mathematics and natural sciences 

(including physical sciences and biological/agricultural 

sciences) at higher rates and enrolled in computer/ 

information sciences at a lower rate. 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 4 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Table 1.—Percentage of undergraduates who entered STEM fields, by undergraduate population

Biological/ Engineering/ Computer/ Non- Major

Mathe- Physical agricultural engineering information STEM undeUndergraduate population Total matics Total sciences sciences technologies sciences field clared

2003–04 undergraduates 13.7 0.5 4.2 0.7 3.1 4.2 4.9 65.0 21.3

2003–04 high school graduates 

 who were enrolled in 

 postsecondary 

 education in 2006 14.7 0.9 7.1 1.3 5.4 4.7 2.3 60.8 24.5

1995–96 beginning 

 postsecondary students 22.8 1.2 8.3 1.5 7.1 8.3 6.6 72.5 4.7

1

 A student entered a STEM field if his or her major or secondary major field of study was in a STEM field. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences 

(including physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. In NPSAS:2004, 

STEM entrance is identified by undergraduates’ major and secondary major field as reported in 2003–04. In ELS:02/06, STEM entrance is identified by the major 

and secondary major field as reported by 2003–04 high school graduates who were enrolled in postsecondary education in 2006. In BPS:96/01, STEM entrance 

is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001, and students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these interview times 

are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. Estimates for entering specific STEM fields do not sum to the total because some 

students had a major and a secondary major in different STEM fields or entered more than one STEM field during their postsecondary education.

NOTE: Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04); Education 

Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), Second Follow-up, 2006; and 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

Students who entered STEM field1

Natural sciences

Students who did 

not enter 

STEM field

Unlike the one-time snapshots provided by NPSAS:04 

and ELS:02/06, BPS:96/01 follows the enrollment of 

beginning postsecondary students over 6 years, thereby 

offering a fuller picture of STEM entrance. Based on 

BPS:96/01, a total of 23 percent of beginning postsecondary students entered a STEM field at some time 

during their postsecondary enrollment from 1995–96 to 

2001 (figure 1 and table 1). Overall, 77 percent of 

1995–96 beginning postsecondary students never entered a STEM field during their enrollment through 

2001, including 72 percent who entered only nonSTEM fields and 5 percent who never declared a major. 

In STEM fields, a higher percentage of students entered 

biological/agricultural sciences, engineering/engineering 

technologies, and computer/information sciences (7–8 

percent) than mathematics and physical sciences (less 

than 2 percent for each). 

Students entering STEM fields had enrollment patterns 

different from those who did not enter STEM fields. 

Based on BPS:96/01,3

 52 percent of STEM entrants 

started their postsecondary education at a 4-year institution, compared to 38 percent of their non-STEM counterparts (table 2). Further, about one-third of STEM 

entrants who started in a 4-year institution (33 percent) 

began in a very selective institution, compared to 21 percent among their non-STEM counterparts. A higher 

percentage of STEM entrants started in a bachelor’s degree program (48 percent vs. 35 percent) and a lower 

percentage attended classes exclusively part time (8 percent vs. 13 percent) when compared to their non-STEM 

counterparts. 

 

3

 Similar tables were also run with NPSAS:04 and ELS:02/06 

data. The findings are consistent, but only results from 

BPS:96/01 are reported here because BPS provides a better 

measure of STEM entrance than do ELS and NPSAS data. 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 5 

Figure 1.—Percentage of 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001

1

 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including 

physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. Estimates for entering 

specific STEM fields do not sum to total because some students entered more than one STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

23

1

8

1

7 8 7

72

5

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total MathematicsNatural

sciences, 

total

Physical

sciences

Biological/

agricultural

sciences

Engineering/

engineering

technologies

Computer/

information

sciences

NonSTEM

field

Major

undeclared

STEM field1

Percent

Students entering specific STEM fields generally differed 

from non-STEM entrants in terms of type of institution 

attended, degree program, and attendance, but those 

entering computer/information sciences were an exception. No measurable differences were found between 

students entering computer/information sciences and 

their non-STEM counterparts in terms of the type of 

institution and level of degree program in which they 

first enrolled. Compared to their non-STEM counterparts, a lower percentage of students entering computer/information sciences attended classes exclusively full 

time and a higher percentage had mixed full- and parttime enrollment. Further, compared to students who 

entered natural sciences (more specifically, the physical 

sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), a higher 

percentage of students entering computer/information 

sciences started postsecondary education at public 2-year 

colleges and less selective institutions, enrolled in subbaccalaureate programs such as certificate or associate’s 

degree programs, and attended school exclusively part 

time. In addition, compared to students entering mathematics and engineering/engineering technologies, 

those entering computer/information sciences attended 

4-year institutions and enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at lower rates. 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 6 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Table 2.—Percentage distributions of 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students’ first institution type and selectivity, first degree program 

Table 2.—level, and enrollment intensity through 2001, by STEM entrance between 1995–96 and 2001

STEM entrance between Public Less Very

1995–96 and 20012 4-year 2-year Other selective Selective selective

 All students 41.2 45.5 13.3 57.9 17.7 24.4

Students who entered STEM field, total 51.7 39.8 8.5 48.1 19.3 32.6

Mathematics 53.0 46.4 0.6 ! 44.8 25.1 30.1

Natural sciences, total 70.9 26.7 2.4 ! 42.6 21.1 36.3

Physical sciences 75.9 23.4 0.7 ! 43.8 19.7 36.4

Biological/agricultural sciences 70.2 27.1 2.6 ! 42.2 21.3 36.4

Engineering/engineering technologies 47.8 42.0 10.2 ! 43.5 19.5 37.0

Computer/information sciences 33.2 51.2 15.6 68.5 12.2 19.3

Students who did not enter STEM field, total 38.1 47.2 14.7 61.9 17.0 21.1

Students who entered only non-STEM fields 39.4 45.2 15.4 61.3 17.2 21.5

Students who did not declare a major 18.4 77.5 4.1 ! 79.9 10.6 ! 9.5 !

Asso- Bach- Always Always

STEM entrance between Cert- ciate’s elor’s full- part1995–96 and 20012 ificate degree degree time time Mixed

 All students 18.3 43.5 38.2 46.9 12.2 40.9

Students who entered STEM field, total 11.2 40.6 48.2 47.9 8.3 43.8

Mathematics 0.9 ! 47.3 51.8 50.7 11.0 ! 38.3

Natural sciences, total 3.5 29.5 67.0 57.1 3.1 39.8

Physical sciences 0.9 ! 24.8 74.3 46.8 # 53.2

Biological/agricultural sciences 4.0 30.1 65.9 59.0 3.7 37.3

Engineering/engineering technologies 13.7 42.5 43.7 46.4 9.3 44.3

Computer/information sciences 18.8 50.7 30.5 38.0 11.2 50.8

Students who did not enter STEM field, total 20.4 44.4 35.3 46.7 13.3 40.1

Students who entered only non-STEM fields 20.2 43.1 36.7 48.5 10.3 41.2

Students who did not declare a major 22.9 62.9 14.3 19.2 58.5 22.3

# Rounds to zero.

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1

 This variable only applies to 4-year institutions. The “very selective” institutions are those in which the 25th percentile of SAT/ACT scores of incoming freshman 

exceeded 1000. The “selective” institutions are research universities I and II, baccalaureate I institutions, and private not-for-profit doctoral universities I and II 

that do not meet the “very selective” criteria. The “least selective” institutions are all other 4-year institutions.

2

 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including physical 

sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

First institution type First institution selectivity1

First degree program level

Enrollment intensity

through 2001
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 7 

Who Enters STEM Fields? 

To address the question of who enters STEM fields, this 

section looks at various characteristics of beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 

1995 and 2001. The percentage of men entering STEM 

fields was higher than that of women (33 percent vs. 14 

percent) (table 3), especially in the fields of mathematics, 

engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/ 

information sciences. Nearly half of Asian/Pacific Islander students (47 percent) entered STEM fields, compared to 19–23 percent of students in each of the other 

racial/ethnic groups. No measurable differences were 

found among White, Black, and Hispanic students.4

Percentages of students entering STEM fields were higher for younger (age 19 or younger) and dependent students than for older (age 24 or older) and independent 

students. Compared to their U.S.-born counterparts, a 

higher percentage of foreign students entered STEM 

fields overall (34 percent vs. 22 percent), and computer/information sciences in particular (16 percent vs. 6 

percent). Compared to students whose family income 

fell in the bottom 25 percent or whose parents had a 

high school education or less, a higher percentage of students from families with income in the top 25 percent or 

whose parents had at least some college education entered natural sciences, including the biological/ 

agricultural sciences and physical sciences. 

Various academic indicators are associated with STEM 

entrance as well. For example, the percentage of students 

entering STEM fields was higher among students who 

took trigonometry, precalculus, or calculus in high 

 

4

 This was consistent with the 2006 American Council on 

Education study that found that Black and Hispanic students 

entering 4-year institutions majored in STEM fields at rates 

similar to those of White students (Anderson and Kim 2006). 

school; earned a grade point average (GPA) of B or higher; had college entrance exam scores in the highest quarter; and expected to attain a graduate degree in the future than among students without these characteristics. 

Students entering most STEM fields had similar demographic and academic characteristics, but those entering 

computer/information sciences were somewhat different. 

For example, a higher percentage of students age 30 or 

older, from families with income in the bottom 25 percent, and with an average high school GPA of below B 

entered the computer/information science fields than did 

students age 19 or younger, from families with income 

in the top 25 percent, and with an average high school 

GPA of B or higher. 

Postsecondary Outcomes After 6 Years 

Students take many different paths through postsecondary education. Some attend college full time continuously until they obtain a degree or other credential; 

others take longer to complete their studies, taking 

breaks or attending part time. Still others choose to leave 

college without obtaining a degree or credential. This 

section compares the overall outcomes of STEM and 

non-STEM entrants 6 years after their initial college 

enrollment.5

 In general, STEM entrants had better outcomes than their non-STEM counterparts (table 4). For 

example, compared to students who never entered 

STEM fields or who entered only non-STEM fields, 

those entering STEM fields had a higher rate of completing a bachelor’s degree program (35 percent vs. 27–29 

percent) and a lower rate of leaving college without earning any degree (27 percent vs. 33–36 percent). 

 

5

 The associations among postsecondary outcomes and various 

student characteristics are described in Descriptive Summary of 

1995–96 Beginning Postsecondary Students: Six Years Later

(Berkner, He, and Cataldi 2002). 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 8 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Table 3.—Percentage of 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001, by selected 

Table 3.—student characteristics

Biological/ Engineering/ Computer/

Mathe- Physical agricultural engineering information

Selected student characteristic Total matics Total sciences sciences technologies sciences

All students 22.8 1.2 8.3 1.5 7.1 8.3 6.6

Sex

Male 32.9 1.7 9.5 1.7 8.0 15.1 9.3

Female 14.5 0.7 7.3 1.3 6.3 2.7 4.3

Race/ethnicity2

White 21.5 1.1 7.8 1.6 6.5 8.4 5.7

Black 20.8 1.8 ! 6.5 0.5 ! 6.1 6.4 7.6

Hispanic 22.8 1.3 ! 9.2 0.7 ! 8.7 6.8 6.7

Asian/Pacific Islander 47.4 1.1 ! 19.1 4.3 15.9 15.0 14.9

American Indian/Alaska Native 19.1 ! # 4.3 ! 3.4 0.9 7.1 ! 8.5 !

Age when first enrolled

19 or younger 24.7 1.5 10.4 1.9 8.9 8.7 5.8

20–23 23.5 0.6 ! 5.5 ! 0.7 ! 5.0 ! 10.5 7.1

24–29 14.3 0.6 ! 3.4 ! 0.6 ! 2.8 ! 4.3 ! 7.2

30 or older 17.1 0.3 ! 1.4 ! 0.2 ! 1.2 ! 6.3 10.2

Dependency status when first enrolled

Dependent 25.6 1.5 10.6 1.9 9.1 9.4 6.0

Independent 15.8 0.4 ! 2.7 0.4 ! 2.3 5.7 7.9

Immigrant status when first enrolled

Foreign students/resident aliens 34.2 1.8 8.1 1.5 ! 7.3 10.6 16.1

Naturalized citizen 30.3 2.1 ! 10.8 2.8 ! 8.3 ! 13.0 ! 7.4 !

U.S. native 21.6 1.2 8.3 1.5 7.0 7.8 5.9

Language spoken as a child

Non-English 33.9 3.1 ! 9.3 1.6 8.0 11.1 13.5

English 21.5 1.0 8.2 1.6 7.0 7.9 5.7

Parents’ highest education

High school diploma or less 20.3 0.9 ! 5.6 0.9 4.8 7.7 7.3

Some college 24.2 1.6 ! 9.9 1.9 8.6 7.5 6.6

Bachelor’s degree or higher 25.2 1.4 11.1 2.1 9.3 9.4 5.6

Family income (of dependent students)

Lowest quarter 25.6 2.1 ! 9.0 1.1 8.1 8.7 7.9

Middle two quarters 24.4 0.8 10.3 2.3 8.4 8.9 6.0

Highest quarter 27.6 2.2 12.6 2.0 11.2 10.8 3.7

Highest level of mathematics 

 completed in high school3

None of the following 16.8 # 5.7 0.3 ! 5.4 6.8 ! 5.1

Algebra 2 18.1 0.6 ! 8.3 0.6 ! 7.8 4.7 5.0

Trigonometry or precalculus 25.5 1.2 11.4 2.1 9.8 9.0 5.1

Calculus 45.0 3.3 23.1 5.4 18.3 17.0 5.2

See notes at end of table.

STEM entrance1

Natural sciences
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 9 

Table 3.—Percentage of 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001, by selected 

Table 3.—student characteristics—Continued

Biological/ Engineering/ Computer/

Mathe- Physical agricultural engineering information

Selected student characteristic Total matics Total sciences sciences technologies sciences

High school GPA3

Below B 18.3 0.5 ! 5.6 0.4 5.3 5.8 7.3

At least B 31.1 1.7 15.9 3.2 13.3 11.3 4.0

Type of high school diploma

Regular diploma 23.3 1.3 8.9 1.5 7.7 8.4 6.3

No regular diploma 17.9 # 2.5 ! 1.1 ! 1.4 ! 7.3 ! 8.9

College entrance exam scores

Not taken or scores unknown 18.7 1.1 ! 3.3 0.6 2.8 7.5 8.4

Lowest quarter 20.8 0.7 ! 6.7 0.4 ! 6.5 6.6 6.9

Middle two quarters 25.0 1.0 11.9 2.3 10.1 8.8 4.8

Highest quarter 51.0 5.2 ! 28.5 6.0 23.9 16.4 4.8 !

Highest degree expected when 

 first enrolled

No degree or below bachelor’s degree 14.7 0.4 ! 3.1 # 3.1 ! 4.3 7.8

Bachelor’s degree 18.9 0.9 ! 4.0 0.3 ! 3.7 8.7 6.7

Graduate/professional degree 28.4 2.0 13.3 2.9 11.0 9.7 5.6

# Rounds to zero.

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1

 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including 

physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. Estimates for entering 

specific STEM fields do not sum to the total because some students entered more than one STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001.

2

 The racial/ethnic category of “other” is included in the total but not presented as an individual group due to small sample sizes. Black includes African 

American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian.

3

 This variable only applies to students who took college entrance exams such as the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT).

NOTE: Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

STEM entrance1

Natural sciences

Students who entered computer/information sciences 

and engineering/engineering technologies did not do as 

well as students in other STEM fields with respect to 

attaining a bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, the 

percentage of students earning an associate’s degree was 

higher among these two groups than among those who 

entered biological/agricultural sciences. The percentage 

of students earning a certificate was higher among students who entered computer/information sciences than 

among those who entered mathematics, biological/ 

agricultural sciences, and physical sciences. A higher percentage of students who entered computer/information 

sciences and engineering/engineering technologies left 

college without earning any credential, compared to students entering physical sciences and biological/ 

agricultural sciences. 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 10 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Table 4.—Percentage distribution of 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students’ degree attainment and persistence as of 2001, by STEM 

Table 4.—entrance between 1995–96 and 2001

STEM entrance between No degree, No degree,

1995–96 and 20011 Total Bachelor’s Associate’s Certificate still enrolled not enrolled

 All students 51.6 28.9 10.3 12.3 14.4 34.0

Students who entered STEM field, total 54.9 34.8 11.1 8.9 18.6 26.6

Mathematics 61.4 49.7 11.0 ! 0.6 ! 15.2 23.4 !

Natural sciences, total 63.5 52.7 6.5 4.3 ! 18.1 18.4

Physical sciences 68.4 55.2 10.6 ! 2.6 ! 18.6 13.0

Biological/agricultural sciences 62.3 52.2 5.5 ! 4.5 ! 18.4 19.4

Engineering/engineering technologies 53.0 29.7 15.0 8.4 ! 19.3 27.6

Computer/information sciences 46.4 14.8 15.3 16.4 18.4 35.2

Students who did not enter STEM field, total 50.6 27.2 10.1 13.4 13.2 36.2

Students who entered only non-STEM fields 53.3 28.9 10.8 13.6 13.9 32.8

Students who did not declare a major 10.0 ! 0.2 ! 0.3 ! 9.5 ! 2.2 ! 87.8

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including physical 

sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

certificate as of 2001

Did not attain a degree/

Highest degree

Attained a degree/certificate as of 2001

Persistence in STEM Fields 

While a majority of STEM entrants either completed a 

degree or remained enrolled over 6 years (73 percent, 

table 4), not all remained in the STEM field they had 

entered. This section examines students’ persistence in 

STEM fields from several perspectives. Table 5 shows 

changes among majors; table 6 shows persistence and 

degree attainment in STEM fields; table 7 focuses on 

bachelor’s degree completion in STEM fields; and table 

8 shows the characteristics of students who persisted in 

STEM fields. 

Change in Majors 

Are college students who start out in STEM fields likely 

to change to a major outside of STEM? Table 5, which 

compares students’ majors when they first enrolled in 

1995–96 with their majors when they were last enrolled 

through 2001, indicates that 36 percent were no longer 

in STEM fields when last enrolled through 2001.6

 On 

the other hand, about 7 percent of students who began 

with a non-STEM major switched to a STEM field, and 

16 percent of those with undeclared majors initially later 

declared a STEM major. 

Students who first majored in various STEM fields 

shifted their majors out of STEM fields at various rates, 

ranging from 28 percent for physical sciences to 46 percent for biological/agricultural sciences. Students 

changed majors within STEM fields as well. For example, 24 percent of initial mathematics majors switched to 

another STEM field later (with about 17 percent 

 

6

 To put this in context, 43 percent of students who initially 

began with an education major and 30 percent of those who 

initially began with a business/management major had 

changed to another field when last enrolled through 2001 

(BPS:96/01). 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 11 

Table 5.—Percentage distribution of 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students’ major field when last enrolled through 2001, by major 

Table 5.—field in 1995–96

Biological/ Engineering/ Computer/ Non- Major

Mathe- Physical agricultural engineering information STEM undeMajor field in 1995–96 Total matics Total sciences sciences technologies sciences field clared

 All students 17.1 0.7 5.8 1.0 4.8 5.3 5.4 78.1 4.8

STEM field, total 64.1 2.5 19.9 ! 3.2 ! 16.6 ! 28.5 ! 13.2 ! 35.9 #

Mathematics 67.7 43.7 ! 3.1 2.6 0.5 16.7 ! 4.2 32.3 #

Natural sciences, total 56.8 1.0 ! 52.2 7.5 44.7 1.8 ! 1.8 ! 43.2 #

Physical sciences 72.1 3.3 ! 59.7 44.1 15.6 5.2 ! 4.0 ! 27.9 #

Biological/agricultural 

 sciences 54.5 0.7 ! 51.1 2.0 49.1 1.3 ! 1.5 45.5 #

Engineering/engineering 

 technologies 69.2 1.4 ! 2.3 1.1 1.3 59.7 5.7 30.8 #

Computer/information 

 sciences 65.1 # 0.8 ! # 0.8 ! 3.0 ! 61.3 34.9 #

Non-STEM field 7.1 0.4 ! 2.4 0.3 ! 2.1 1.2 3.1 92.9 #

No major declared 15.8 0.4 6.3 1.5 4.8 3.1 6.0 65.9 18.4

# Rounds to zero.

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1

 Student’s major field of study for the undergraduate program last enrolled through 2001.

2

 STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, 

and computer/information sciences. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

Major field when last enrolled through 20011

STEM field2

Natural sciences

switching to engineering/engineering technologies, for 

example). Similarly, 28 percent of initial physical 

sciences majors switched to another STEM field later 

(notably to biological/agricultural sciences⎯16 percent). 

Between 4 and 9 percent of those initially entering computer/information sciences, biological/agricultural 

sciences, and engineering/engineering technologies later 

changed to another STEM field. 

Degree Attainment and Persistence in STEM Fields 

Among students entering a STEM field during their first 

year of enrollment (table 6), 37 percent completed a degree or certificate in a STEM field (STEM completers) 

over the next 6 years; some 7 percent maintained 

enrollment in a STEM field, but had not yet completed 

a degree in a STEM field (STEM persisters); and 55 percent left STEM fields (STEM leavers) by either switching 

to a non-STEM field (27 percent)7

 or leaving postsecondary education without earning any credential (28 percent).8

 

7

 This group includes students who had obtained one or more 

degrees only in non-STEM fields and were last enrolled in a 

non-STEM field as of 2001, or those who had not yet attained 

a degree and were enrolled in a non-STEM field in 2001. 

8

 This group includes all students who left postsecondary education without earning any credential, regardless of whether 

their last major was in a STEM field. 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 12 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Table 6.—Among 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001, percentage distribution 

Table 6.—of degree attainment and persistence in STEM fields as of 2001

STEM completers STEM persisters

No STEM Left postNo STEM degree degree or secondary

Attained a or certificate certificate education

degree or but were still and changed without a

certificate in enrolled in to a non- degree or

STEM entrance a STEM field a STEM field STEM field1 certificate

Students who entered STEM field

 in 1995–96,2

 total 37.1 7.5 27.1 28.3

Mathematics 27.0 1.5 ! 32.3 39.1 !

Natural sciences, total 35.4 6.4 34.9 23.3

Physical sciences 41.7 15.3 ! 21.0 22.0 !

Biological/agricultural sciences 34.4 5.0 37.0 23.5

Engineering/engineering technologies 40.8 8.6 23.1 27.5

Computer/information sciences 32.6 7.9 ! 20.0 39.5

Students who entered STEM field 

 between 1995–96 and 2001,3

 total 40.7 12.0 20.6 26.7

Mathematics 46.9 7.2 ! 22.5 ! 23.3 !

Natural sciences, total 47.3 9.7 24.5 18.5

Physical sciences 58.9 10.3 ! 17.8 13.0

Biological/agricultural sciences 45.3 9.5 25.9 19.4

Engineering/engineering technologies 39.9 11.5 20.8 27.8

Computer/information sciences 36.2 17.1 11.4 35.2

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1

 This group includes students who had attained one or more degrees only in non-STEM fields and were last enrolled in a non-STEM field as of 2001, or those 

who had not attained a degree yet and were enrolled in a non-STEM field in 2001.

2 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, the first year they were enrolled in postsecondary education. STEM fields include 

mathematics, natural sciences (including physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/

information sciences. 

3

 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

STEM leavers

Degree attainment and persistence in STEM field as of 2001

Of all STEM entrants between 1995–96 and 2001, 

some 41 percent had earned a STEM degree or certificate by 2001, and 12 percent remained enrolled in a 

STEM field as of 2001. About 47 percent had either 

switched to a non-STEM field (21 percent) or left postsecondary education without a degree or certificate by 

2001 (27 percent). 

Attainment and persistence rates varied among STEM 

fields.9

 Taking all STEM entrants between 1995–96 and 

2001 as an example, compared to the total percentage 

for all STEM entrants, a higher percentage of students 

entering the physical sciences completed a degree in a 

STEM field (59 percent vs. 41 percent), and a lower per-

 

9

 Some apparent differences are not found to be measurably 

different due to large standard errors. 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 13 

centage left college without earning a degree or certificate (13 percent vs. 27 percent). Students entering computer/information sciences and engineering/ 

engineering technologies, on the other hand, completed 

a STEM degree at lower rates than those who entered 

physical sciences, and they left postsecondary education 

without a degree at a higher rate than students who entered natural sciences, including physical sciences and 

biological/agricultural sciences. 

Bachelor’s Degree Attainment in STEM Fields 

A total of 35 percent of all STEM entrants had attained 

a bachelor’s degree by 2001 (table 7). Among these bachelor’s degree recipients, 27 percent earned a degree in 

a STEM field and 8 percent did so in a non-STEM field 

(figure 2). The bachelor’s degree attainment rate in a 

STEM field was highest for students who entered physical sciences (47 percent) and lowest for those who entered computer/information sciences (12 percent). 

A majority of students earned their bachelor’s degree in 

the STEM field they entered. For example, among students who entered the physical sciences between 1995–

96 and 2001 and had earned a bachelor’s degree by 

2001, some 68 percent earned their bachelor’s degree in 

the physical sciences. The percentage of students earning 

a bachelor’s degree in the STEM field they entered 

ranged from 65 percent for mathematics to 77 percent 

for computer/information sciences. 

Table 7.—Among 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001, percentage who attained 

Table 7.—a bachelor’s degree in various fields, by STEM entrance between 1995–96 and 2001

Bachelor’s Bachelor’s

STEM entrance Bachelor’s Biological/ Engineering/ Computer/ degree in the degree

between degree in Mathe- Physical agricultural engineering information same STEM in non1995–96 and 20011 any field Total matics Total sciences sciences technologies sciences field entered2 STEM field

Students who entered 

 STEM field, total 34.8 26.5 1.7 14.0 2.5 11.6 7.5 3.3 — 8.3

Mathematics 49.7 36.0 32.5 1.4 ! 1.4 ! # 0.5 ! 1.6 ! 65.4 13.7 !

Natural sciences, total 52.7 40.3 0.7 ! 38.5 6.8 31.7 0.7 ! 0.3 ! 73.1 12.4

Physical sciences 55.2 47.2 2.2 ! 43.3 37.6 5.8 1.2 ! 0.4 ! 68.1 8.0

Biological/agricultural 

 sciences 52.2 39.3 0.4 ! 37.9 0.8 ! 37.1 0.7 ! 0.3 ! 71.1 12.9

Engineering/engineering 

 technologies 29.7 23.2 0.9 ! 1.0 ! 0.4 ! 0.6 ! 20.8 ! 0.6 ! 70.0 6.5

Computer/information 

 sciences 14.8 11.8 # 0.1 ! # 0.1 ! 0.3 ! 11.4 77.4 3.0 !

— Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1

 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including physical 

sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. 

2

 Among students who earned a bachelor's degree, the percentage who earned the degree in the same STEM field as they entered. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard error tables are available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

Bachelor’s degree in STEM field

Natural sciences
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 14 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Figure 2.—attained a bachelor’s degree in a STEM or non-STEM field: 2001

1

 STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of these 

interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including 

physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. Estimates for specific STEM 

fields may not sum to total because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

Figure 2.—Among 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001, percentage who 

27

2

14

2

12 8 3

8

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total MathematicsNatural

sciences,

total

Physical

sciences

Biological/

agricultural

sciences

Engineering/

engineering

technologies

Computer/

information

sciences

Non-STEM

field

STEM field1

Percent

Who Is Likely to Complete a Degree or Remain 

Enrolled in STEM Fields? 

The data in table 8 show the associations among various 

student characteristics and degree completion and persistence in STEM fields. The table focuses only on STEM 

entrants (non-STEM entrants are excluded). No gender 

difference was evident in persistence and attainment 

rates in STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001. Some 

racial/ethnic differences were observed, however. Although there were no measurable differences in STEM 

entrance among White, Black, and Hispanic students 

(table 3), White students had a higher STEM bachelor’s 

degree completion rate than did Black and Hispanic students. Asian students also had a higher STEM bachelor’s 

degree completion rate than did Black and Hispanic students. 

Students’ age and dependency status were not only related to STEM entrance (table 3) but also to STEM degree completion. For example, a higher percentage of 

students who first enrolled in postsecondary education at 

age 19 or younger completed a bachelor’s degree in a 

STEM field than did those who entered at age 20 or older. Similarly, a higher percentage of dependent students 

than of independent students completed a STEM bachelor’s degree. Differences were also observed in how students left STEM fields. In general, a higher percentage of 

younger (age 19 or younger) and dependent students left 

by changing to a non-STEM field, while a higher percentage of their older (age 20–30 or 30 years and older 

when first enrolled) and independent peers left postsecondary education without earning any credential. 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 15 

Table 8.—Among 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001, percentage who 

Table 8.—earned STEM degrees, persisted in STEM fields, or left STEM fields as of 2001, by selected student characteristics

STEM persisters

No STEM No STEM Left postdegree or degree or secondary

Attained a Attained a certificate certificate education

degree or bachelor’s but were still and changed without a

certificate in degree in enrolled in to a non- degree or

Selected student characteristic a STEM field a STEM field a STEM field STEM field1 certificate

 Total 40.7 26.5 12.0 20.6 26.7

Gender

Male 40.8 25.5 12.3 20.3 26.6

Female 40.6 28.4 11.4 21.2 26.8

Race/ethnicity2

White 43.9 29.5 12.1 19.4 24.6

Black 31.7 15.5 9.4 23.8 35.2

Hispanic 33.1 16.3 15.7 19.7 31.6

Asian/Pacific Islander 39.9 31.2 9.4 ! 27.0 23.8

Age when first enrolled

19 or younger 43.0 33.2 11.5 23.4 22.1

20–23 37.8 8.9 ! 13.0 ! 12.2 37.0

24–29 37.1 3.4 ! 13.2 ! 18.5 31.3

30 or older 26.6 3.5 ! 14.6 ! 7.8 51.0

Dependency status when first enrolled

Dependent 42.3 31.7 11.2 22.5 24.0

Independent 35.5 5.5 ! 15.6 13.0 35.9

Immigrant status when first enrolled

Foreign students/resident aliens 40.2 23.8 15.1 15.3 29.5

Naturalized citizen 43.6 30.3 7.5 ! 28.9 ! 20.0 !

U.S. native 41.1 27.3 12.5 20.7 25.7

Language spoken as a child

Non-English 39.8 22.3 11.7 21.7 26.9

English 41.5 28.1 12.4 20.6 25.6

Parents’ highest education

High school diploma or less 36.1 15.5 10.9 17.2 35.8

Some college 32.9 19.4 13.9 25.3 27.9

Bachelor’s degree or higher 50.8 42.0 11.4 22.2 15.5

Type of high school diploma

High school regular diploma 41.3 28.5 11.9 21.0 25.7

No high school regular diploma 33.6 2.1 13.1 ! 15.5 ! 37.7

College entrance exam scores

Lowest quarter 26.3 15.0 ! 13.2 22.8 37.8

Middle two quarters 40.5 30.2 12.7 25.7 21.1

Highest quarter 59.1 57.7 9.0 21.0 10.9

Highest level of mathematics 

 completed in high school3

None of the following 28.1 20.3 ! 5.5 ! 35.1 31.3

Algebra 2 23.5 12.8 15.3 19.8 41.4

Trigonometry or precalculus 47.4 37.5 10.8 23.4 18.4

Calculus 61.0 58.6 9.1 20.2 9.7

See notes at end of table.

Degree attainment and persistence in STEM field as of 2001

STEM completers STEM leavers
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 16 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Table 8.—Among 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who entered STEM fields between 1995–96 and 2001, percentage who 

Table 8.—earned STEM degrees, persisted in STEM fields, or left STEM fields as of 2001, by selected student characteristics—Continued

STEM persisters

No STEM No STEM Left postdegree or degree or secondary

Attained a Attained a certificate certificate education

degree or bachelor’s but were still and changed without a

certificate in degree in enrolled in to a non- degree or

Selected student characteristic a STEM field a STEM field a STEM field STEM field1 certificate

High school GPA3

Below B 27.9 13.1 12.9 14.8 44.4

At least B 52.1 47.3 9.7 24.7 13.4

Highest degree expected when 

 first enrolled

No degree or degree below bachelor's 36.1 4.2 ! 4.7 ! 10.8 ! 48.4

Bachelor’s degree 31.1 15.6 12.8 25.2 30.9

Graduate/professional degree 45.8 36.2 13.6 21.5 19.2

First institution type

4-year 48.9 45.4 11.4 21.5 18.2

Public 2-year 29.2 7.3 14.0 19.8 37.1

Other 44.9 1.8 ! 6.9 ! 18.6 29.7

First institution selectivity4

Less selective 36.1 30.0 16.4 22.1 25.5

Selective 51.8 49.1 8.1 24.4 15.6

Very selective 66.2 65.6 5.8 19.2 8.8

First degree program type

Certificate 39.3 5.4 ! 5.4 ! 15.7 39.7

Associate’s 30.0 7.5 14.2 21.0 34.8

Bachelor’s 50.1 47.5 11.7 21.4 16.8

Enrollment intensity between 

 1995–96 and 2001

Always full-time 51.0 41.4 6.7 21.3 20.9

Always part-time 17.8 ! # 14.8 ! 10.7 ! 56.8

Mixed 34.0 15.3 17.3 21.7 27.0

# Rounds to zero.

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

1

 This group includes students who had attained one or more degrees only in non-STEM fields and were last enrolled in a non-STEM field as of 2001, or those 

who had not attained a degree yet and were enrolled in a non-STEM field in 2001.

2

 American Indian/Alaska Native and “other” students are included in the total but not presented as an individual group due to small sample sizes. Black includes 

African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian.

3

 This variable only applies to students who took college entrance exams such as the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT).

4 This variable only applies to 4-year institutions. The “very selective” institutions are those in which the 25th percentile of SAT/ACT scores of incoming freshman 

exceeded 1000. The “selective” institutions are research universities I and II, baccalaureate I institutions, and private not-for-profit doctoral universities I and II 

that do not meet the “very selective” criteria. The “least selective” institutions are all other 4-year institutions.

NOTE: STEM entrance is identified by students’ major field as reported in 1995–96, 1998, and 2001. Students who reported a STEM major at one or more of 

these interview times are considered to have entered a STEM field between 1995–96 and 2001. STEM fields include mathematics, natural sciences (including 

physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. Standard error tables are 

available at http://nces.ed.gov/das/library/reports.asp.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01).

STEM completers STEM leavers

Degree attainment and persistence in STEM field as of 2001
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 17 

Although a higher percentage of foreign students and 

students who spoke a language other than English as a 

child entered STEM fields than did their U.S.-born and 

English-speaking counterparts (table 3), no measurable 

differences were found in rates of completion of STEM 

degrees or persistence in STEM fields. 

Parents’ education levels were related to STEM degree 

attainment. The overall STEM degree completion rates 

as well as STEM bachelor’s degree completion rates were 

higher among students whose parents had at least a 4-

year college degree than among those whose parents did 

not attain that level of education. In addition, a lower 

percentage of students whose parents had a bachelor’s or 

higher degree left postsecondary education without earning a credential than did their counterparts whose parents did not have a bachelor’s degree. 

Strong academic preparation in high school was associated with a higher STEM degree completion rate. For 

example, students who took trigonometry, precalculus, 

or calculus in high school; earned a high school GPA of 

B or higher; obtained college entrance exam scores in the 

highest quarter; and expected to attain a graduate degree 

in the future all had higher rates of STEM degree completion (including STEM bachelor’s degrees) and lower 

rates of leaving college without earning any credential 

than did their peers without these characteristics. 

Student outcomes in STEM fields also were related to 

the type of institution in which they first enrolled, their 

degree program, and full- or part-time attendance. 

STEM entrants who started their postsecondary education in a 4-year or selective institution, who initially 

enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program, and who attended school either exclusively full time or mixed fulland part-time attendance generally had higher STEM 

degree completion rates (including completing bachelor’s 

degrees in STEM fields) than did their counterparts 

without these characteristics. 

Summary 

To understand who enters into and completes undergraduate programs in STEM fields, this Statistics in Brief 

examined data from three major national studies: the 

1995–96 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01); the 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04); and the 

Education Longitudinal Study of 2002/06 (ELS:02/06). 

STEM fields, as defined in this study, include mathematics, natural sciences (including physical sciences and 

biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering 

technologies, and computer/information sciences. This 

study used students’ reported major field of study to 

identify STEM entrants and considered a STEM entrant 

anyone who reported a major in a STEM field at any 

time during his or her postsecondary enrollment. 

Looking only at single points in time, STEM majors 

accounted for 14 percent of all undergraduates enrolled 

in U.S. postsecondary education in 2003–04 and 15 

percent of 2003–04 high school graduates who were 

enrolled in postsecondary education in 2006. The 

STEM entrance rate increased, however, when estimated 

over students’ postsecondary careers with longitudinal 

data. For example, 23 percent of 1995–96 first-time beginning postsecondary students majored in a STEM field 

at some point between 1995–96 and 2001. In general, 

the percentage of students entering STEM fields was 

higher among male students, younger and dependent 

students, Asian/Pacific Islander students, foreign students or those who spoke a language other than English 

as a child, and students with more advantaged family 

background characteristics and strong academic preparation than among their counterparts who did not have 

these characteristics. 

After 6 years of initial college enrollment, STEM entrants generally did better than non-STEM entrants in 

terms of bachelor’s degree attainment and overall persistence. However, not all STEM entrants stayed in their 

fields. Roughly one-third of students who entered a 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 18 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

STEM field during the first year switched to a nonSTEM field over the next 6 years. Among all STEM entrants between 1995–96 and 2001, 53 percent persisted 

in a STEM field by either completing a degree in a 

STEM field or staying enrolled in a STEM field, and a 

total of 47 percent left STEM fields by either switching 

to a non-STEM field or leaving postsecondary education 

without earning any credential. 

STEM entrants with different characteristics had different STEM completion rates. For example, STEM bachelor’s degree completion rates were higher among younger 

students (age 19 or younger when first enrolled in postsecondary education), White or Asian/Pacific Islander 

students, students with at least one parent who had a 4-

year college degree, and those who demonstrated a high 

level of academic preparation for postsecondary education, chose a 4-year or a selective institution, enrolled in 

a bachelor’s degree program when they began college, 

and attended school either full time or mixed full-time 

with part-time attendance. 

Although students in various STEM fields were generally 

alike in terms of their demographic, academic, and 

enrollment characteristics and their outcomes, those entering computer/information sciences differed in many 

respects. According to the BPS data, older students, students from low-income families, and those less academically prepared enrolled in computer/information sciences 

more often than did their peers who were younger, from 

high-income families, or more academically prepared. 

Moreover, compared to other STEM students, a larger 

percentage of computer/information sciences majors attended public 2-year institutions, enrolled in subbaccalaureate programs, and attended classes exclusively part 

time. These findings are consistent with trends reported 

in the Digest of Education Statistics (U.S. Department of 

Education 2008) indicating that the number of associate’s degrees awarded in computer/information 

sciences has increased 155 percent from 1994–95 to 

2005–06, accounting for about one-third of all degrees 

awarded in the field of computer/information sciences in 

2005–06. In the fields of biological/agricultural sciences, 

physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering, the 

number of associate’s degrees accounted for 2–9 percent 

of all degrees awarded. In other words, more students 

seem to be seeking subbaccalaureate opportunities in 

computer/information sciences than in other STEM 

fields. 

References 

Anderson, E., and Kim, D. (2006). Increasing the Success of 

Minority Students in Science and Technology. Washington, 

DC: American Council on Education. 

Berkner, L., He, S., and Cataldi, E.F. (2002). Descriptive 

Summary of 1995–96 Beginning Postsecondary Students: 

Six Years Later (NCES 2003-151). National Center for 

Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC. 

Cominole, M., Siegel, P., Dudley, K., Roe, D., and Gilligan, 

T. (2006). 2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 

(NPSAS:04) Full-Scale Methodology Report (NCES 2006-

180). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute 

of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC. 

Goan, S., and Cunningham, A. (2006). Degree Completions in 

Areas of National Need, 1996−97 and 2001−02 (NCES 

2006-154). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. 

Government Accountability Office (GAO). (2006). Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Trends and the 

Role of Federal Programs (GAO-06-702T). Washington, 

DC: Author. 

Green, M. (2007). Science and Engineering Degrees: 

1966−2004 (NSF 07-307). Arlington, VA: National 

Science Foundation. 

Ingels, S.J., Pratt, D.J., Wilson, D., Burns, L.J., Currivan, D., 

Rogers, J.E., and Hubbard-Bednasz, S. (2007). Education 

Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:02) Base-Year to Second 

Follow-up Public Use Data File Documentation (NCES 

2008-347). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 19 

Kuenzi, J., Matthews, C., and Mangan, B. (2006). Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Issues and Legislative Options. Congressional Research 

Report. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. 

National Academy of Science, Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP). (2005). Rising 

Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing 

America for a Brighter Economic Future. Washington, DC: 

National Academies Press. 

National Governors Association (NGA). (2007). Building a 

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Agenda. Washington, DC: Author. 

National Science Board (NSB). (2007). A National Action 

Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation. 

U.S. Department of Education. (2006). A Test of Leadership: 

Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education. Washington, DC. 

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education 

Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. 

(2008). Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 (NCES 2008-

022). Washington, DC. 

Wine, J.S., Heuer, R.E., Wheeless, S.C., Francis, T.L., Franklin, J.W., and Dudley, K.M. (2002). Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study 1996–2001 (BPS:96/01) 

Methodology Report (NCES 2002-171). National Center 

for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC. 

Technical Notes 

This section describes data sources, study samples, 

weights, and derived variables used for this Statistics in 

Brief. It also includes a crosswalk for the specific contents of the STEM categorization for various major fields 

of study. 

Data Sources 

The 1995–96 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. The 1995–96 Beginning Postsecondary 

Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96) is composed of a 

subset of the students who participated in the 1995–96 

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:96). 

NPSAS:96 consisted of a nationally representative sample of students enrolled in all levels of postsecondary 

education during the 1995–96 academic year. The 

BPS:96 initial sample (approximately 12,400 students) 

was derived from that sample and is a nationally representative sample of students who began postsecondary 

education for the first time in 1995–96. The first followup of the BPS cohort (BPS:96/98) was conducted in 

1998, approximately 3 years after these students first 

enrolled. About 10,300 of the students who first began 

in 1995–96 were located and interviewed in the 1998 

follow-up, for an overall weighted response rate of 80 

percent. The second BPS follow-up (BPS:96/01) was 

conducted in 2001, approximately 6 years after initial 

college entry. All respondents to the first follow-up and a 

sample of nonrespondents in 1998 were eligible to be 

interviewed. More than 9,100 students were located and 

interviewed in the 2001 follow-up, for an overall 

weighted response rate of 76 percent. Information about 

beginning students in BPS:96/01 was obtained from 

student interviews conducted in the base year and follow-ups and from various sources used for NPSAS data 

collection. For further details on the BPS:96/01 data, 

refer to the report Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study: 1996–2001 (BPS:96/01) Methodology 

Report (Wine et al. 2002). 

The 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study. The 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student 

Aid Study (NPSAS:04) provides comprehensive data for 

the undergraduate and graduate/first-professional student populations in the academic year 2003–04 and determines how students and their families pay for 

postsecondary education. The target population consists 

of all eligible students enrolled at any time between July 

1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, in Title IV postsecondary 

institutions in the United States or Puerto Rico. A two-
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 20 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

stage sampling design was used to collect the data for 

NPSAS:04. The first stage involved selecting eligible 

institutions, and the second stage involved selecting eligible respondents within each eligible institution. More 

than 90,000 undergraduate, graduate, and firstprofessional students participated in the survey. Upon 

the completion of data collection, the weighted institutional response rate was 80 percent, and the weighted 

student response rate was 91 percent, resulting in an 

overall response rate of 72 percent. For further details on 

the NPSAS:04 data, refer to the report 2004 National 

Postsecondary Study Aid Study (NPSAS:04) Full-Scale Methodology Report (Cominole et al. 2006). 

The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002/06. The 

Education Longitudinal Study of 2002/06 (ELS:02/06) 

provides data about the critical transitions experienced 

by high school students as they proceed through high 

school and into postsecondary education or their early 

careers. Currently, this survey has four major data components: the base-year interview, the first follow-up interview, the high school transcript data collection, and 

the second follow-up interview. The base-year interview 

was carried out in a nationally representative probability 

sample of about 750 participating public, Catholic, and 

other private schools in the spring term of the 2001–02 

academic year. Of about 17,600 eligible selected sophomores, about 15,400 completed a base-year questionnaire, for a weighted response rate of 87 percent. The 

first follow-up interview took place in the spring of 

2004, when most sample members were seniors in high 

school. Seniors in 2004 who were not in the base-year 

sampling frame were eligible for selection into the sample. Of about 16,500 eligible sample members, about 

15,000 participated in an interview, for a weighted response rate of 89 percent. The second follow-up interview took place in 2006, when most sample members 

were 2 years past high school graduation and had entered 

the labor force or postsecondary education. Of about 

15,900 eligible sample members, about 14,200 completed an interview, for a weighted response rate of 88 

percent. For further details on the design and structure 

of ELS:02/06, refer to the report Education Longitudinal 

Study of 2002 (ELS:02) Base-Year to Second Follow-up 

Public Use Data File Documentation (Ingels et al. 2007). 

Analysis Samples and Weights 

Three analysis samples were used for this Statistics in 

Brief. For analyses of the BPS:96/01 data, the sample 

consisted of all 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students who participated in the two follow-up surveys in 

1998 and 2001 and who reported a major, including 

“undeclared major,” in at least one of three data collections (about 9,000 students selected). Less than 1 percent of students had missing information about their 

undergraduate major. For analyses of the NPSAS:04 data, the sample consisted of all undergraduates enrolled in 

all types of postsecondary institutions during the 2003–

04 academic year (about 80,000 selected). For analyses 

of the ELS:02/06 data, the sample consisted of all 2003–

04 high school graduates who were enrolled in postsecondary education and who also reported a major (including “undeclared major”) in the 2006 interview 

(about 8,400 selected). Less than 1 percent of high 

school graduates did not report their major field of 

study. High school graduates are students who completed high school with a regular or honors diploma. 

All estimates in this Statistics in Brief were weighted to 

compensate for unequal probability of selection into the 

survey sample and to adjust for nonresponse. The weight 

variable used for analysis of the BPS data is WTC00, a 

longitudinal weight designed for 1995–96 beginning 

postsecondary students who also participated in the two 

follow-up surveys. The weight variable used for analysis 

of the NPSAS data is WTA00, a cross-sectional weight 

applied to all undergraduates in NPSAS:04. The weight 

variable used for analysis of the ELS data is WTF000, 

which was designed for an analysis involving all second 

follow-up respondents in 2006. 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 21 

Variables Used in the Analyses 

All variables used in this Statistics in Brief were from the 

BPS:96/01, NPSAS:04, and ELS:02/06 Data Analysis 

System (DAS), a software application developed by 

NCES to generate tables from the survey data. The DAS 

can be accessed electronically at http://nces.ed.gov/das. 

This section provides detailed information on the 

STEM-related variables constructed specifically for this 

study. All other variables used in this study were taken 

directly from the surveys. Interested readers can obtain 

detailed descriptions of these variables from previous 

reports online. 

STEM Related Variables 

Major field of study with a focus on STEM fields 

(STEMMAJ): This variable was constructed in all three 

datasets. In NPSAS:04, it indicates undergraduates’ major field of study (including secondary major) during the 

2003−04 academic year with a focus on STEM fields 

and was constructed from students’ major field of study 

(MAJORS) and secondary major field of study 

(N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, this variable indicates the 

postsecondary enrollee’s major field of study (including 

secondary major) in 2006 with a focus on STEM fields 

and was constructed from students’ responses regarding 

their declared major (F2B22), major field of study 

(F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study 

(F2B24). In BPS:96/01, this variable indicates whether 

1995–96 beginning postsecondary students ever majored 

in a STEM field through 2001 and was constructed 

from students’ major field of study as reported in 1995–

96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B). 

The individual STEM fields described below are dichotomous variables (yes/no) constructed from one or more 

variables in each of the three datasets. In NPSAS:04, the 

variables indicate STEM majors in 2003–04; in 

ELS:02/06, variables indicate STEM majors in 2006; 

and in BPS:96/01, variables indicate STEM majors at 

any time during enrollment up to 6 years after first 

enrolling in 1995–06. 

Major in mathematics (MAJMATH): In NPSAS:04, this 

variable indicates whether a student’s major field of 

study (including secondary major) in 2003–04 was in 

mathematics and was constructed from students’ major 

field of study (MAJORS) and secondary major field of 

study (N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, it indicates whether a 

postsecondary enrollee’s major field (including secondary 

major field) in 2006 was in mathematics and was constructed from students’ responses regarding their declared major (F2B22), major field of study 

(F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study 

(F2B24). In BPS:96/01, it indicates whether 1995−96 

beginning postsecondary students ever majored in mathematics through 2001 and was constructed from students’ major field of study as reported in 1995−96 

(SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B). 

Major in science (MAJSCI): In NPSAS:04, this variable 

indicates whether a student’s major field of study (including secondary major) in 2003–04 was in science and 

was constructed from students’ major field of study 

(MAJORS) and secondary major field of study 

(N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, it indicates whether a postsecondary enrollee’s major field (including secondary 

major field) in 2006 was in science and was constructed 

from students’ responses regarding their declared major 

(F2B22), major field of study (F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study (F2B24). In BPS:96/01, it 

indicates whether 1995–96 beginning postsecondary 

students ever majored in science through 2001 and was 

constructed from students’ major field of study as reported in 1995–96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), 

and 2001 (SEMAJ2B). 

Major in physical sciences (MAJPHY): In NPSAS:04, 

this variable indicates whether a student’s major field of 

study (including secondary major) in 2003–04 was in 

physical sciences and was constructed from students’ 

major field of study (MAJORS) and secondary major 

field of study (N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, it indicates 

whether a postsecondary enrollee’s major field (including 
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 22 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

secondary major field) in 2006 was in physical sciences 

and was constructed from students’ responses regarding 

their declared major (F2B22), major field of study 

(F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study 

(F2B24). In BPS:96/01, it indicates whether 1995–96 

beginning postsecondary students ever majored in physical sciences through 2001 and was constructed from students’ major field of study as reported in 1995–96 

(SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B). 

Major in biological/agricultural sciences (MAJBIO): In 

NPSAS:04, this variable indicates whether a student’s 

major field of study (including secondary major) in 

2003–04 was in biological/agricultural sciences and was 

constructed from students’ major field of study 

(MAJORS) and secondary major field of study 

(N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, it indicates whether a postsecondary enrollee’s major field (including secondary 

major field) in 2006 was in biological/agricultural 

sciences and was constructed from students’ responses 

regarding their declared major (F2B22), major field of 

study (F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study 

(F2B24). In BPS:96/01, it indicates whether 1995–96 

beginning postsecondary students ever majored in biological/agricultural sciences through 2001 and was constructed from students’ major field of study as reported 

in 1995–96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B). 

Major in engineering/engineering technologies 

(MAJENG): In NPSAS:04, this variable indicates 

whether a student’s major field of study (including secondary major) in 2003–04 was in engineering/ 

engineering technologies and was constructed from students’ major field of study (MAJORS) and secondary 

major field of study (N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, it indicates whether a postsecondary enrollee’s major field (including secondary major field) in 2006 was in 

engineering/engineering technologies and was constructed from students’ responses regarding their declared major (F2B22), major field of study 

(F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study 

(F2B24). In BPS:96/01, it indicates whether 1995–96 

beginning postsecondary students ever majored in engineering/engineering technologies through 2001 and was 

constructed from students’ major field of study as reported in 1995–96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), 

and 2001 (SEMAJ2B). 

Major in computer/information sciences (MAJCOMP): 

In NPSAS:04, this variable indicates whether a student’s 

major field of study (including secondary major) in 

2003–04 was in computer/information sciences and was 

constructed from students’ major field of study 

(MAJORS) and secondary major field of study 

(N4MAJ2B). In ELS:02/06, it indicates whether a postsecondary enrollee’s major field (including secondary 

major field) in 2006 was in computer/information 

sciences and was constructed from students’ responses 

regarding their declared major (F2B22), major field of 

study (F2MAJOR2), and secondary major field of study 

(F2B24). In BPS:96/01, it indicates whether 1995–96 

beginning postsecondary students ever majored in computer/information sciences through 2001 and was constructed from students’ major field of study as reported 

in 1995–96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B). 

Degree attainment in STEM field as of 2001 

(STEMDEG): This variable was constructed from 

BPS:96/01. It indicates whether a 1995–96 beginning 

postsecondary student had attained a degree/credential 

in a STEM field by 2001. The variable was constructed 

from students’ major field of study as reported in 

1995−96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B), and the dates of completing a certification 

(DGDTCT2B), associate’s degree (DGDTAA2B), and 

bachelor’s degree (DGDTBA2B). 

Bachelor’s degree attainment in STEM field as of 2001 

(BAMAJ): This variable was constructed from 

BPS:96/01. It indicates whether a 1995–96 beginning 

postsecondary student had attained a bachelor’s degree 
STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 23 

in a STEM field by 2001. The variable was constructed 

from students’ major field of study as reported in 

1995−96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B), and the date of completing a bachelor’s 

degree (DGDTBA2B). 

Persistence in STEM field as of 2001 (STEMPER1): 

This variable was constructed from BPS:96/01. It indicates 1995–96 beginning postsecondary students’ persistence in STEM fields as of 2001, including whether or 

not they had attained a degree/credential in a STEM 

field and whether or not they were enrolled in a STEM 

field as of 2001. The variable was constructed from students’ attainment and enrollment as of 2001 

(PRENLV2B), major field of study as reported in 

1995−96 (SEMAJ1Y1), 1998 (SEMAJ1B1), and 2001 

(SEMAJ2B), and the dates of completing a certification 

(DGDTCT2B), associate’s degree (DGDTAA2B), and 

bachelor’s degree (DGDTBA2B). 

Other Variables 

Variables from BPS:96/01: 

Type of first institution enrolled (ITNPSAS) 

Selectivity of first institution (INSTSEL) 

Degree program when first enrolled (DGPGMY1) 

Enrollment intensity through 2001 (ENIPTT2B) 

Gender (SBGENDER) 

Race/ethnicity (SBRACECI) 

Dependency status when first enrolled (SBDEP1Y1) 

Age when first enrolled (SBAGFM) 

Immigrant status when first enrolled (ORIGIN) 

Language spoken as a child (SBLANG) 

Parents’ highest level of education (PBEDHI3) 

Family income (of dependent students) (PCTDEP) 

Highest level-math in high school (HCMATHHI) 

High school GPA (HCGPAREP) 

Type of high school diploma (HSDIPLOM) 

College entrance exam score (TESATDER) 

Highest degree expected when first enrolled 

(EPHDEGY1) 

Persistence and degree attainment as of 2001 

(PRENRL2B) 

Major field when first enrolled (SEMAJ1Y1) 

Major field when last enrolled 2001 (SEMAJ2B) 

Information on these variables can be accessed from previous reports online at 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003151

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001163

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003157
 STUDENTS WHO STUDY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

 24 AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Crosswalk of STEM Categorization and Major Fields of Study in BPS:96/01, NSPAS:04, and ELS:02/06 

BPS:96/01 NPSAS:04 ELS:02/06

Mathematics Mathematics and statistics Mathematics and statistics Mathematics and statistics

Agriculture Agricultural/related sciences Agricultural/natural resources/related

Agricultural sciences Natural resources/conservation Biological/biomedical sciences

Natural resources Biological/biomedical sciences Physical sciences

Forestry Physical sciences Science technologies/technicians

Biological sciences Other natural sciences

Physical sciences Science technologies/technicians

Physical sciences Physical sciences Physical sciences Physical sciences

Agriculture Agricultural/related sciences Agricultural/natural resources/related

Agricultural sciences Natural resources/conservation Biological/biomedical sciences

Natural resources Biological/biomedical sciences

Forestry

Biological sciences

Electrical engineering Engineering Engineering technologies/technicians

Chemical engineering Engineering technologies/

Civil engineering technicians

Mechanical engineering

Other engineering

Engineering technology

Computer programming Computer/information sciences Computer/information sciences/

Data processing support technicians

Computer/information sciences

Biological/agricultural 

sciences

Engineering/engineering 

technologies

Computer/information 

sciences

Major Field of Study

STEM Categorization

Natural sciences
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