Overall, a higher percentage of bachelor’s degrees were awarded to females than to males
in 2015–16 (58 vs. 42 percent). However, in STEM fields, a lower percentage of bachelor’s degrees
were awarded to females than to males (36 vs. 64 percent). This pattern—in which females received
higher percentages of bachelor’s degrees overall but lower percentages of bachelor’s degrees in STEM
fields—was observed across all racial/ethnic groups.
Of the 1.8 million bachelor’s degrees
awarded in 2015–16, about 331,000 (18 percent) were in STEM fields. The percentage of bachelor’s degrees
awarded that were in STEM fields varied by race/ethnicity. For example, the percentage of bachelor’s degrees
awarded to Asian students that were STEM degrees (33 percent) was almost double the overall percentage of
bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields. The percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded to students of Two or
more races that were STEM degrees (20 percent) was also higher than the overall percentage of bachelor’s degrees
awarded in STEM fields. In contrast, the percentages of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic (15 percent), Pacific
Islander (15 percent), American Indian/Alaska Native (14 percent), and Black students (12 percent) that were STEM degrees
were lower than the overall percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields. The percentage of bachelor’s degrees
awarded to White students that were STEM degrees (18 percent) was about the same as the overall percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields.
Learn more...