Percentage of S&E College Grads Grows, But Not S&E Employment

Although the percentage of college graduates with science and engineering (S&E) or S&E-related majors has increased, the proportion of college graduates employed in an S&E occupation has remained relatively unchanged at 10 percent since 1993, according to a recently released InfoBrief from the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Engineering Statistics. In the brief, authors John Finnamore and Beethika Khan use the most recent data from the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) to identify the distinguishing characteristics of the United States’ college-educated population.

The NSCG surveys approximately 100,000 individuals to represent the college-educated population residing in the United States as of February 2013, with at least one degree earned before January 2012. College graduates, defined by an earned bachelor’s degree or higher, were categorized by both current occupation and major field of study. Within each of these, further distinction was given to science and engineering (S&E) occupations (e.g., scientist, engineer), S&E-related occupations (e.g., health-related occupations, S&E managers, technicians, or teachers), and non-S&E occupations. Degree field was similarly separated by S&E fields (e.g., biological and environmental life sciences, computer and mathematical sciences, engineering), S&E related fields (e.g., health, science and math education, architecture), and non-S&E majors. This allows for a useful cross-cutting analysis on the relationship between college major and occupation.

According to the survey, just more than half (50.8 percent) of the college-educated population in the United States has a degree in a non-S&E field, though this proportion has decreased by about 7 percent since 1993. Approximately 36 percent of college graduates have degrees in either S&E or S&E-related majors as of 2013, compared to 33 percent in 1993.

Of the employed college graduates with degrees only in S&E fields, just under half (49 percent) worked in an S&E or S&E-related occupation in 2013, compared to 80 percent of employed college graduates with degrees in an S&E-related field. Of those who reported that they were employed outside of S&E fields, 62 percent reported that their job was related to their S&E degree. It can be surmised, then, that while the proportion of college graduates employed in an S&E occupation has stagnated, many college graduates with S&E or S&E-related degrees are still finding relevant ways to use their education.

College graduates, specifically those in S&E or S&E-related occupations, benefit economically compared to those without a college degree. The unemployment rate for all college graduates in February 2013 was just 4.3 percent, much lower than the 8.1 percent rate for the overall workforce. The median salary for college graduates in the United States was $58,000 in 2013, with individuals on average earning more with employment in an S&E or S&E-related occupation ($80,000 and $65,000, respectively). The business sector employs 68 percent of the college graduates in the United States, the most of any sector, followed by academic institutions (22 percent) and government (10 percent).

Despite their increased representation in the college graduate population since 1993, rising from 46 percent to 53 percent over a 20-year period, in 2013 just 41 percent of college graduates who completed their highest level of degree in an S&E field and 29 percent of all college graduates employed in an S&E field were women. Similarly, both whites and blacks had participation rates in S&E occupations that were lower than their representation among college graduates. Asians, who comprise just 8.4 percent of the college graduate population, represent 17.3 percent of those employed in S&E occupations.