STEM Pipeline Attrition During Early College: The Role of More Rigorous Standards in Freshman STEM Courses

• In Event: Using National Data Sets to Explore Postsecondary Pathways and Outcomes

Abstract

This study uses data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 to explore the association between college course rigor and attrition from STEM majors and whether student, high school, and college characteristics mediate that association. The results show STEM courses are substantially more rigorous compared with non-STEM courses in terms of grades and remediation, withdrawal, and failure rates. Furthermore, students with larger negative STEM vs. non-STEM differences on these course outcomes are more likely to switch out of a STEM major. Noteworthy, these associations are not mediated by students’ high school performance, demographic background, the high school they attended, or the level or selectivity of the college. The implications of these findings to STEM workforce policy are discussed.

Authors

• Gregory J. Palardy, University of California - Riverside

• Meaghan Beth McMurran, University of California - Riverside