Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, by gender

Question:
What information do you have on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. by gender?

Response:

Postsecondary education: STEM degrees

The following table depicts the numbers of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics degrees for varying levels of educational attainment.

Number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees/certificates conferred by postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity, level of degree/certificate, and sex of student: 2019–20
Sex and year	Total	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian/Pacific Islander			American Indian/Alaska Native	Two or more races	Non-resident alien
					Total	Asian	Pacific Islander
Total, all levels of degrees/certificates
Total	773,971	385,132	55,642	94,927	86,389	85,135	1,254	3,007	26,464	122,410
Males	510,937	263,321	33,494	61,963	52,548	51,715	833	2,015	16,395	81,201
Females	263,034	121,811	22,148	32,964	33,841	33,420	421	992	10,069	41,209
Certificates below the associate’s degree level
Total	87,168	48,782	11,765	15,941	5,439	5,218	221	791	2,954	1,496
Males	68,598	39,645	8,683	12,489	3,965	3,792	173	638	2,225	953
Females	18,570	9,137	3,082	3,452	1,474	1,426	48	153	729	543
	Associate’s degrees
Total	85,159	44,798	8,289	17,037	8,073	7,862	211	691	3,082	3,189
Males	62,387	35,245	5,558	11,670	5,252	5,100	152	464	2,122	2,076
Females	22,772	9,553	2,731	5,367	2,821	2,762	59	227	960	1,113
	Bachelor’s degrees
Total	429,298	234,690	28,114	52,905	58,216	57,511	705	1,267	16,988	37,118
Males	268,910	151,282	15,078	32,160	34,505	34,072	433	757	9,979	25,149
Females	160,388	83,408	13,036	20,745	23,711	23,439	272	510	7,009	11,969
	Master’s degrees
Total	142,775	45,504	6,790	7,841	12,606	12,504	102	224	2,850	66,960
Males	91,639	29,996	3,830	4,953	7,592	7,524	68	137	1,735	43,396
Females	51,136	15,508	2,960	2,888	5,014	4,980	34	87	1,115	23,564
	Doctor’s degrees
Total	29,571	11,358	684	1,203	2,055	2,040	15	34	590	13,647
Males	19,403	7,153	345	691	1,234	1,227	7	19	334	9,627
Females	10,168	4,205	339	512	821	813	8	15	256	4,020

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Reported racial/ethnic distributions of students by level of degree, field of study, and sex were used to estimate race/ethnicity for students whose race/ethnicity was not reported. STEM fields include biological and biomedical sciences, computer and information sciences, engineering and engineering technologies, mathematics and statistics, and physical sciences and science technologies. Degree counts are limited to degree-granting institutions; certificate counts include both degree- and non-degree-granting institutions. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (2021, September). Table 318.45. Number and percentage distribution of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees/certificates conferred by postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity, level of degree/certificate, and sex of student: 2010–11 through 2019–20 [Data table]. In Digest of education statistics. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_318.45.asp

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2021, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, Table 318.20. Bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study: Selected years, 1970–71 through 2018–19
  
• 2021, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, Table 505.10. Number, percentage distribution, unemployment rates, and median earnings of 25- to 29-year-old bachelor’s degree holders and percentage of degree holders among all 25- to 29-year- olds, by field of study and STEM status of field: 2010 and 2019
  
• 2021, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, Table 505.30. Percentage distribution of employed 25- to 34-year-olds with a bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field, by STEM or non-STEM occupation, sex, race/ethnicity, & U.S. nativity & citizenship status: 2019
  
• 2021, The Condition of Education 2021: Graduate Degree Fields
  
• 2021, The Condition of Education 2021: Undergraduate Degree Fields
  
• 2020, The Condition of Education 2020: Employment Outcomes of Bachelor's Degree Holders
  
• 2019, Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups, Indicator 26: STEM Degrees
  
• 2016, The Condition of Education 2016, Employment of STEM College Graduates
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2022, The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS): IPEDS is a system of surveys designed to collect data from all primary providers of postsecondary education.
  
• 2017, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Graduates: Where Are They 4 Years After Receiving a Bachelor’s Degree?