U.S. College Graduates' Postbaccalaureate STEM Trajectories and Wages, 1995–2018

• In Event: Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM Education

Abstract

This study examines changes in US college graduates’ BA-PhD trajectories and median annual wages in STEM fields. Analyses of NSF’s 2017 NSCG and 2009-2018 ACS data reveal field-specific change patterns. Particularly in physical/chemical sciences, typical post-baccalaureate STEM paths have changed from identical-majors’ short BA-PhD trajectories to more diverse career timelines. However, gender wage gaps remained significant such that doctorate-holding women working in the field earned as less as their baccalaureate-only male coworkers with academic training in equivalent fields. The findings indicate that despite women’s increasing entry and advancement in STEM higher education it is slower to make progress toward gender equity in some STEM workplaces.

Author

• Yun Kyung Cho, University of Wisconsin - Madison