Communications of the ACM
Most With College STEM Degrees Go to Work in Other Fields, Survey Finds
Credit: Edudemic
Students who graduate with a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are more likely than other graduates to be employed, but also are unlikely to have a job in a STEM field, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report. The report, based on the results of the bureau's American Community Survey, says 75 percent of students with a bachelor's degree in a STEM field have non-STEM jobs; the percentage falls to about 50 percent of those with degrees relating to engineering, computers, math, and statistics. The survey also found men still predominate in STEM fields, especially engineering and computers.
Census Bureau sociologist Christin Landivar says part of the discrepancy is explained by the way the bureau classifies jobs as STEM or non-STEM, and notes STEM degrees provide a range of career options. For example, many biology majors go on to study medicine and become doctors, but doctors are not classified as STEM workers by the Bureau.
Georgetown University's Anthony Carnevale says the numbers should calm worries about an oversupply of STEM graduates, noting many graduates find jobs in technical but non-STEM fields such as supply chain management, inventory control, and quality control.
From The Washington Post
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