IN OTHER NEWS – New research reveals that Georgia ranks in the top 10 states with the greatest increase in STEM degrees.
Release:
- Washington State has the largest increase with 40.68% more science and engineering degrees in 2021, than in 2000
- Nevada and Michigan are states with the second and third-highest increases
- Just seven states confer a lower percentage of these degrees than in 2000
New research by bio convergence company CYTENA has revealed the states that have seen the greatest increase in science and engineering (S&E) degrees, as a proportion of all degrees conferred, since 2000. The study analyzed the latest U.S National Science Foundation data to establish the states that have seen the largest shift towards these STEM subjects in their student cohorts, since the turn of the millennium.
Washington has seen the largest proportional increase in S&E degrees. In 2000, science and engineering accounted for 32.2% of degrees conferred in the state, this was slightly above the national average of the time of 31.2%. In 2021, science and engineering accounted for 45.3% of degrees, which is 27.6% over the national average of 35.5%. With this, Washington saw a proportional increase in S&E degrees of 40.7% between 2000 and 2021, the highest in the US.
Nevada saw a proportional increase coming in a fraction smaller than in Washington. In 2000, S&E degrees accounted for 25.5% of all degrees, a little way below average at the time, compared to 35.7% in 2021, which is slightly above average. Overall this amounts to a proportional increase of 40%, the second-highest nationwide.
In third, Michigan’s year 2000 figure of 28.8% of degrees coming in S&E, went up to as much as 37.3% in 2021, making for a 30% increase.
| State | 2000 | 2021 | % increase |
| US Ave. | 31.2% | 35.5% | 13.78% |
| Washington | 32.2% | 45.3% | 40.7% |
| Nevada | 25.5% | 35.7% | 40.0% |
| Michigan | 28.7% | 37.3% | 30.0% |
| Maryland | 36.6% | 46.3% | 26.5% |
| New Mexico | 29.0% | 36.1% | 24.5% |
| New York | 29.7% | 36.8% | 23.9% |
| California | 36.4% | 44.9% | 23.4% |
| Georgia | 30.3% | 37.2% | 22.8% |
| Florida | 28.1% | 34.4% | 22.4% |
| Massachusetts | 34.3% | 41.7% | 21.6% |
Maryland was the state in this top ten with the highest percentage of S&E degrees back in 2000, at 36.6%. This still rose to 46.3% in 2021, a 26.5% proportional increase.
In fifth, New Mexico has seen a rise from 29% of degrees in S&E to 36.1%, while in sixth New York has seen one from 29.7% to 36.8%. These equate to proportional increases of 24.5% and 23.9%, respectively.
In 2000, California conferred 36.4% of its degrees in S&E, by 2021 this became 44.9%, an increase of 23.4%.
States of Georgia, Florida, and Massachusetts finish those with the top ten proportional increases in S&E degrees since 2000. In Georgia, the percentage of degrees in S&E went from 30.3% to 37.2%, in Florida, from 28.1% to 34.4%, and in Massachusetts, from 34.3% to 41.7%. These equate to increases of 22.8%, 22.4%, and 21.6%, respectively.”Yafees Sarwar, Director of Marketing at CYTENA commented on the findings: “With the increasing importance of science and engineering in everything from medical innovation to climate change solutions, which states are seeing their education shift toward STEM topics the most is of course interesting.
“All of these states have prestigious institutions with top-grade science and engineering departments contributing to these increases and it will be fascinating to see over time whether the workforces and business that emerge from higher education in these states are representative of the subjects being studied within them.”
