Why should people care about STEM?
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are vital to American innovation and competitiveness, yet relatively few U.S. students obtain STEM bachelor’s degrees. While the number of degrees awarded in the STEM fields has increased modestly over the last decade, only 15.6 percent of bachelor’s degrees were awarded in these fields in 2007, and the overall share of degrees awarded in STEM fields actually shrank during the past five years. Meanwhile, our major competitors are ramping up their education systems, and focusing on STEM education as a means to bolster their economic competitiveness. This relative dearth of U.S. STEM graduates led BHEF to launch its Securing America’s Leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Initiative, with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. STEM graduates.
