Identifying Strategies for Increasing Degree Attainment in STEM: Lessons from Minority-Serving Institutions

To compete in the global marketplace, numerous reports point to the need for the United States to increase its production of highly educated workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although estimates suggest that the number of STEM-related jobs will grow faster than other jobs, the rate of bachelor's degree production in STEM fields in the United States is now lower than that of many other nations. Furthermore, the projected retirement of many current STEM workers exacerbates the need to increase the supply of STEM-educated workers. Differences in degree attainment in STEM fields across groups suggest that women, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Blacks, and Hispanics are not only a relatively untapped resource for addressing this national economic need, but they are also less likely to realize the individual economic benefits that result from participating in this high-growth sector of the economy. Although progress has been made, these groups continue to represent a smaller share of degree recipients in science and engineering fields than of all other degree recipients. For reasons of global competitiveness and social justice, higher education institutions must do more to improve the educational attainment of groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. One approach to achieving this goal is to explore the characteristics of colleges and universities that appear to be especially successful at promoting degree attainment in STEM for these groups. This article summarizes how the authors used this approach in a recent study and offers related recommendations for future research. (Contains 1 table.)