Chapter 2 | Higher Education in Science and Engineering

Undergraduate Education, Enrollment, and Degrees in the United States

Related Content

• Related Content-
• Demographic Differences in Access to Advanced Mathematics and Science Courses: Civil Rights Data
• Graduate Education, Enrollment, and Degrees in the United States
• Institutions Providing S&E Education
• International S&E Higher Education
• National Trends in K–12 Student Achievement
• S&E First University Degrees by Sex
• Student Learning in Mathematics and Science
• Transition to Higher Education

Enrollment in U.S. institutions of higher education at all levels rose from 15.5 million students in fall 2000 to more than 20.2 million in fall 2015, with two main periods of high growth—between 2000 and 2002 and between 2007 and 2010, following a pattern of rising enrollments when there are economic downturns. Undergraduate enrollment typically represents about 85% of all postsecondary enrollment (Appendix Table 2-5).

Undergraduate enrollment peaked at 18.3 million in 2010 but declined to 17.3 million in 2015, still about 30% higher than in 2000 (Appendix Table 2-5). As in previous years, the types of institutions enrolling the largest numbers of students at the undergraduate level in 2015 were associate’s colleges (7.2 million, 42% of all undergraduates enrolled), master’s colleges/universities (3.7 million, 21%), and doctorate-granting universities with very high research activity (2.1 million, 12%). Between 2000 and 2015, undergraduate enrollment increased consistently at most types of institutions (ranging between 22% and 35% at research universities, master’s colleges, and baccalaureate colleges). (See sidebar Carnegie Classification of Academic Institutions for definitions of the types of academic institutions.)

Between 2000 and 2015, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the share of Hispanics and blacks enrolled full time in undergraduate programs increased (from 10% to 17% and from 11% to 13%, respectively); the shares of Asians and Pacific Islanders and of American Indians or Alaska Natives remained stable at about 6% and 1%, respectively; the share of whites declined (from 68% to 55%) (Figure 2-9). The most recent data show that about 3% of undergraduate students enrolled report being of more than one race. In general, enrollment is higher among black, Hispanic, and white women than among their male counterparts (special tabulation, IPEDS Fall Enrollment data; for additional data on undergraduate enrollment patterns by sex and race and ethnicity, see NSF/NCSES 2017a).^​

According to the latest Census Bureau projections, increased enrollment in higher education is expected to come mainly from minority groups, particularly Hispanics (for details, see in Science and Engineering Indicators 2016 Chapter 2 [2016] section Undergraduate Education Enrollment and Degrees in the United States [NSB 2016]). This increase may result in a larger number of academic institutions becoming high Hispanic enrollment and in considerable increases in the overall enrollment in community colleges, because nearly half of all Hispanic undergraduates are enrolled in community colleges.^​

The enrollment data presented in the previous section are not available by field of study because academic institutions vary in terms of when undergraduates declare a major, making it difficult to consistently measure enrollment by field. Since 1971, the annual The American Freshman: National Norms survey, administered by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, has asked freshmen at a large number of universities and colleges about their intended majors. Data show that in 2000, about one-third of all freshmen planned to study S&E; this proportion gradually rose to 45% by 2016 (Eagan et al. 2017). ^​ Increases in the proportion of freshmen planning to major in biological and agricultural sciences and in engineering account for most of this growth. In 2016 about 45% of freshmen indicated they planned to major in an S&E field (up from about 8% in 2000); about 16% in the biological and agricultural sciences; 11% in engineering; 10% in the social and behavioral sciences; 6% in mathematics, statistics, or computer sciences; and 3% in the physical sciences.

Based on recent data collected in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) at the Department of Homeland Security, international undergraduate enrollment increased consistently from nearly 350,000 in fall 2012 to nearly 451,000 in fall 2016 but dropped to about 441,000 by fall 2017 (Table 2-10).^​,​Between 2016 and 2017, international undergraduate enrollment in S&E fields remained steady, rising only 0.2% or 360 students, while declining 3.8% in non-S&E fields during this time. The decline may reflect a smaller influx of international students in the United States, a declining proportion of them staying in the United States than in the past, or a combination of these two factors.

In fall 2017, the top five countries sending S&E undergraduates to the United States were the same as in the previous year: China, Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea, and Kuwait (Appendix Table 2-16). Compared to fall 2016, the number of S&E undergraduates from China, India, and Kuwait enrolled in fall 2017 increased (by 3%, 11%, and 4% respectively) while the number from Saudi Arabia and South Korea declined (by 18% and 7% respectively).

At the undergraduate level, in 2017 40% of international students were enrolled in S&E fields (Table 2-10; Appendix Table 2-16). Within S&E, the broad fields with the highest enrollment of international students are engineering, computer sciences, and the social sciences (particularly economics). In the most recent academic year, the number of visa holders increased in computer sciences and mathematics (by 11% and 5% respectively). The largest declines in international student enrollment were in engineering and social sciences (5% and 3% respectively) and also in non-S&E (4%). In 2017, the proportion of undergraduate students enrolled in S&E fields was 50% or higher among students from Kuwait, Turkey, Malaysia, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, similar overall to previous years.

For the most part, U.S. undergraduates do not declare majors until their sophomore year, but engineering is an exception, generally requiring students to declare a major in their freshman year. Thus, engineering enrollment data compiled by the American Society for Engineering Education provides a glimpse into future undergraduate engineering degrees and student interest in the field (Yoder 2017). In the last 10 years, undergraduate engineering enrollment has been on the rise. The number of full-time undergraduate engineering students enrolled increased by 63% between 2006 and 2015, to about 610,000 (Appendix Table 2-17). Full-time freshman enrollment followed a similar pattern, peaking at 150,000 in 2015, the highest since 1982, indicating that interest in an engineering career is high.

One concern about the United States’ ability to produce and retain talent in science and engineering is that students who start undergraduate programs in these fields do not complete them (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 2012). Some drop out and do not complete any degree and others complete their degrees after switching to non–science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Degree attainment and retention are best measured by the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) survey, which examined a nationally representative cohort of first-time, beginning students at the end of their first year in 2011–12, followed up with them 3 years later, and will contact them 6 years later.^​ Of the students surveyed in 2011–12, 43% enrolled in 2-year institutions, 53% enrolled in 4-year institutions, and 5% in less than 2-year institutions.^​ Overall, the data provide limited evidence that retention patterns vary across S&E and non-S&E fields of study.

Three years after enrolling in a 2-year institution in the 2011–12 academic year, about 55% of students had either completed an associate’s degree (12%) or remained enrolled in school (at the same or another institution) without having earned a degree (43%); the remaining 45% were no longer enrolled at any institution and had not attained a degree (Table 2-11). Overall, the level of degree attainment or continued enrollment did not vary much by students’ declared major field of study. However, students who had been undecided about their major in 2011–12 were more likely to be no longer enrolled at any institution without having earned a degree by the spring of 2014: 55% of those with undecided majors were no longer enrolled compared to 43% of those with majors in the natural sciences and engineering, 40% of those in the social and behavioral sciences, and 45% of those in the non-S&E fields respectively.

In 4-year colleges and universities, 3 years after enrolling, the vast majority of students, were still enrolled either at their first institution or at another institution without having earned a credential (76%) or had attained an associate’s or bachelor’s degree (6%); about 18% had not earned a degree and were no longer enrolled at any institution. Overall those who had declared a major in S&E fields (natural sciences, engineering, and social and behavioral sciences) were slightly more likely to be enrolled 3 years later than students who had declared a non-S&E major (78% for natural sciences and engineering and 80% for social sciences compared to 74% for non-S&E majors). In addition, a higher proportion of students who declared a non-S&E major were somewhat more likely to be no longer enrolled at any institution (20%) than those who had declared a natural sciences and engineering (16%) or a social and behavioral sciences major (15%) (Table 2-11).

Among undergraduates who began postsecondary education in a 4-year institution, the majority who had declared a major during their first year in 2011–12 continued in the same major 3 years later. A larger proportion of students who declared a major in a non-S&E field (82%) than students who declared a natural sciences and engineering (69%) or social and behavioral sciences (67%) major remained in their field 3 years after beginning their postsecondary education (Table 2-12). Of the students who had not decided on a major in their first year, about equal proportions were enrolled in S&E (43%) or non-S&E (44%) fields 3 years later; the remainder continued to be undecided.

Although a greater proportion of students who started as S&E majors switched to a non-S&E field than the other way around, major switching resulted in a net increase in the number of S&E students. The absolute number of students switching into S&E fields is larger than those switching out because more than half of students start in non-S&E or undeclared majors (Table 2-12). Thus, the relatively small proportion of non-S&E students who later switch into S&E fields constitutes a larger number than the relatively large proportion of S&E students who switch out.

The number of undergraduate degrees awarded by U.S. academic institutions has been increasing over the past two decades in S&E and non-S&E fields. According to projections from the Department of Education, these trends are expected to continue at least through 2024 (Hussar and Bailey 2016).

Community colleges often are an important and relatively inexpensive gateway for students entering higher education. Associate’s degrees, largely offered by 2-year programs at community colleges, are the terminal degree for some, but others continue their education at 4-year colleges or universities and subsequently earn higher degrees. About 19% of recent S&E bachelor’s degree holders—those who had earned their degree between academic years 2008–09 and 2012–13—had previously earned an associate’s degree.^​ Many who transfer to baccalaureate-granting institutions do not earn associate’s degrees before transferring; they may be able to transfer credit for specific courses.^​

In 2015, 91,000 out of more than 1 million associate’s degrees were in S&E fields (Appendix Table 2-18). S&E associate’s degrees from all types of academic institutions declined between 2003 and 2007 but have been rising continuously since then. Until 2012, the overall trend mirrored the pattern of computer sciences, which account for a large portion of S&E associate’s degrees and peaked in 2003, declined through 2007, and increased through 2012.^​ Between 2012 and 2015, the number of S&E associate’s degrees continued to increase despite a decline in the number of associate’s degrees awarded in computer sciences.

The number of associate’s degrees in S&E technologies, not included in S&E degree totals because of their applied focus, grew by 72% since 2000. In 2015, about 144,000 associate’s degrees were awarded in S&E technologies, down from 166,000 in 2012. Associate’s degrees in these fields accounted for 14% of all associate’s degrees in 2015; this proportion has ranged between 13% and 16% since 2000. Nearly three-quarters of the associate’s degrees in S&E technologies are in health technologies, and close to one-quarter are in engineering technologies. The proportion of associate’s degrees in engineering technologies, however, has declined from 48% of all S&E technologies degrees in 2000 to 24% in 2015 (or from 7% of all associate’s degrees to 3%), whereas the proportion of associate’s degrees in health technologies has increased from 50% in 2000 to 73% in 2013 (or from 7% of all associate’s degrees to 10%).

Women earned 60% to 62% of all associate’s degrees awarded between 2000 and 2015 (Appendix Table 2-18). The proportion of women earning S&E associate’s degrees, however, declined from 48% in 2000 to 44% in 2015. Most of the decline is attributable to a decrease in women’s share of computer sciences associate’s degrees, which dropped continuously from 42% in 2000 to 21% in 2015.

Students from underrepresented minority groups (blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians and Alaska Natives) earn a higher proportion of associate’s degrees than of bachelor’s or more advanced degrees, in S&E fields and in all fields.^​ (See the S&E Bachelor’s Degrees by Race and Ethnicity and S&E Doctoral Degrees by Race and Ethnicity sections.) In 2015, underrepresented minorities earned 35% of S&E associate’s degrees—more than 40% of all associate’s degrees in social and behavioral sciences; 39% of those in the biological sciences; about 30% of those in physical sciences, mathematics, and computer sciences; and 23% of those in engineering (Appendix Table 2-19).

In 2015, women earned more than half of the associate’s degrees awarded to their respective racial or ethnic group in the social and behavioral sciences and in non-S&E fields, but less than half of those in the natural sciences and in engineering (Appendix Table 2-20). In all racial and ethnic groups, the difference was particularly large in engineering (between 56% and 80%, with the largest gap among blacks) and lower in the natural sciences (between 20% and 48%; with the largest gap among whites). In the last 15 years, the gender gap in the natural sciences grew in all racial and ethnic groups. During this period, the gender gap in engineering remained at similar levels among whites, Hispanics, and American Indians or Alaska Natives, but increased among blacks and declined among Asians or Pacific Islanders (for additional data, see NSF/NCSES 2017a).

The baccalaureate is the most prevalent S&E degree, accounting for nearly 70% of all S&E degrees awarded. S&E bachelor’s degrees have consistently accounted for roughly one-third of all bachelor’s degrees for at least the past 15 years (Appendix Table 2-21). The number of S&E bachelor’s degrees awarded rose steadily from about 400,000 in 2000 to more than 650,000 in 2015 (Appendix Table 2-21).^​ During this period, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded increased fairly consistently, although to different extents, in all S&E fields. The exception was computer sciences, where the number increased sharply from 2000 to 2004, dropped as sharply through 2009, but has been increasing again since then (Figure 2-10; Appendix Table 2-21).

Since 1982, women have outnumbered men in undergraduate education. Since the late 1990s, they have earned about 57% of all bachelor’s degrees and half of all S&E bachelor’s degrees (NSF/NCSES 2017a).

Men and women prefer different fields of study; these tendencies continue at the master’s and doctoral levels. In 2015, men earned the vast majority of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering, computer sciences, and physics and more than half of the degrees in mathematics and statistics. Women earned half or more of the bachelor’s degrees in psychology, biological sciences, agricultural sciences, and all the broad fields within social sciences except for economics (Appendix Table 2-21).

Since 2000, changes have not followed a consistent pattern. The share of bachelor’s degrees awarded to women declined, particularly in computer sciences (by 10%) and in mathematics and statistics (by 5%) (Figure 2-11; Appendix Table 2-21). Agricultural sciences is the field in which the proportion of bachelor’s degrees awarded to women grew the most during this period (by 9%) (Appendix Table 2-21).

The racial and ethnic composition of the cohort of S&E bachelor’s degree recipients has changed over time, reflecting population changes and increasing rates of college attendance by members of minority groups.^​

Excluding temporary visa holders, between 2000 and 2015, the number of S&E bachelor’s degrees earned by white students increased, but their share declined from 71% to 61% (Figure 2-12; Appendix Table 2-22). The share awarded to Hispanic students increased from 7% to 13%, and the share awarded to Asians increased from 9% to 10%. The share awarded to blacks (9%) has remained flat since 2000, and the share awarded to American Indians or Alaska Natives dropped from 0.7% to 0.5% in this period. The number of S&E bachelor’s degrees earned by students of other or unknown race or ethnicity nearly doubled to about 27,000 in 2015 (about 4% of all S&E bachelor’s degree recipients), suggesting that the specific percentages just cited are best viewed as approximations.

Some of these trends may reflect changes in the way NCES and other federal statistical agencies began collecting race and ethnicity data under the Office of Management and Budget’s most recent guidelines, which include students of multiple races starting with the data from the 2011 IPEDS Completions survey.^​ The new race and ethnicity categories now allow students who in the past may have reported their race or ethnicity to be American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Other Pacific Islander, black, Hispanic, or white, to be classified as a student of multiple races. As a result, this category reached about 20,000 bachelor’s degree awards in 2015. However, because the trends discussed previously had also been observed before 2011, it is unlikely that the changes in the racial or ethnic categories contributed to the declines or increases to a very large extent.

Over more than three decades, the gap in educational attainment at the bachelor’s level between young minorities and whites has narrowed but continues to be wide. From 1980 to 2015, the percentage of the population ages 25–29 with a bachelor’s or higher degree in any field changed from 12% to 21% for blacks, 8% to 16% for Hispanics, and 25% to 43% for whites (NCES 2017). Their continuing differences with whites reflect lower rates of high school completion, college enrollment, and college persistence and attainment. (For information on immediate post–high school college enrollment rates, see Chapter 1 section Transition to Higher Education.)

Among those who did graduate from college in 2015, all groups but Asians and Pacific Islanders shared a similar distribution across broad S&E fields. Between 10% and 13% of all baccalaureate degrees were in the natural sciences, and 2%–5% were in in engineering. In contrast, Asians and Pacific Islanders were more likely than any of the other groups to earn degrees in the natural sciences (24%) and engineering fields (9%) (Appendix Table 2-22).

Since 2000, the total number of bachelor’s degrees in all fields and in S&E fields overall increased for most racial and ethnic groups (Appendix Table 2-22). The exception was computer sciences. Degrees in this field increased considerably through 2003–04, sharply declined through 2008–09, then started to increase again, with degrees earned by Hispanics and whites exceeding their previous 2004 highs (57% higher for Hispanics, 6% higher for whites).^​

In 2015, underrepresented minority women earned more than half of all S&E bachelor’s degrees in their respective racial or ethnic groups, whereas white and Asian women earned close to half of them (Appendix Table 2-20). Women in all racial and ethnic groups earned the majority of bachelor’s degrees in the social and behavioral sciences and in non-S&E fields, and about half of those in the natural sciences. In all racial and ethnic groups, the differences in the number of bachelor’s degree awards between women and men is particularly high in engineering. Among underrepresented minority groups, gender gaps in engineering and the natural sciences became more pronounced between 2000 and 2015, particularly among blacks. The proportion of bachelor’s degree awards in engineering to black women declined from 36% to 25% between 2000 and 2015; in the natural sciences, they declined from nearly 60% in 2000 to 52% in 2015 (for additional data by field of study, see NSF/NCSES 2017a).

Students on temporary visas in the United States have consistently earned a small share (about 4%–5%) of S&E degrees at the bachelor’s level. In 2015, these students earned a substantially larger share of bachelor’s degrees awarded in economics (17%); mathematics and statistics (14%); and in industrial, electrical, and chemical engineering (11%–13%). The total number of S&E bachelor’s degrees awarded to students on temporary visas increased from about 15,000 in 2000 to about 19,000 in 2004, then declined to less than 17,000 by 2008, but it has increased continuously since then, peaking at almost 33,000 in 2015 (Appendix Table 2-22).