Key Findings

This report shows that, over the past several years, about half of US high school graduates have expressed interest in STEM majors and careers. Meanwhile, college readiness levels in math and science are higher for STEM-interested students than for ACT-tested students overall (as stated in the ACT Condition of College & Career Readiness 2015 Report, released in August 2015).

This is particularly true among students with an interest that is both expressed (planning to pursue a STEM major/career) and measured (having a high ACT Interest Inventory score in STEM areas). Interest in Computer Science and Mathematics majors and occupations is trending up slightly, while interest in Medical and Health majors and occupations is trending down slightly.

Nevertheless, based on the percent meeting the new ACT STEM College Readiness Benchmark, far too many STEM-interested students are not well prepared to succeed in the type of rigorous college math and science coursework required of STEM majors. These findings echo those of the national Condition of College & Career Readiness 2015report, which issued a call to action to the entire education community, urging that more work should be done to improve college and career readiness for all students. We should commend the efforts of STEM councils and leaders across the country to increase awareness and interest in STEM among young people while expanding efforts to increase college and career readiness levels in STEM areas.

Among key findings of this report:

  1. Interest in STEM remains high. Of the more than 1.9 million graduates who took the ACT in 2015, nearly 940,000–or 49%–had an interest in STEM. This shows that STEM initiatives and the awareness created around STEM majors and careers continues to be effective. However, the challenge is to translate this interest into pursuit and completion of STEM majors. Five-year trends show the percentage of students interested in Computer Science and Mathematics majors has increased by 2%, while there has been a 3% decrease in the percentage of students choosing Medical and Health majors. Choices of specific majors within each area are remarkably consistent from last year.

  2. Students with STEM interest that is both expressed and measured outperformed their peers. Consistent with previous years, students who demonstrate both an expressed and measured interest in STEM outperformed their peers in terms of college readiness. Such students had Benchmark attainment percentages that were 16 points above all ACT-tested 2015 graduates in both math and science. Because students may not be able to articulate (much less pursue) interests in STEM early in their academic careers, introducing students to STEM majors and occupations at an early age will go a long way toward planting the seeds of interest necessary to pursue those areas later on.

  3. For the first time, students are measured against the ACT STEM College Readiness Benchmark. Through research, ACT has established a Benchmark that puts an even stronger emphasis on the need for students to use every opportunity in preparation to pursue a STEM major or occupation. The ACT STEM College Readiness Benchmark is based on more rigorous entry-level college courses than the established math and science Benchmarks, and rates of attainment are extremely low on the more strenuous ACT STEM College Readiness Benchmark. Recent ACT research noted that students meeting the STEM Benchmark have a 49% chance of attaining a STEM degree in six years, compared to only 17% of those who fall below this Benchmark.

  4. Interest in teaching STEM subject areas continues to lag. Despite a larger number of ACT-tested students this year, which translates to a larger number of STEM-interested students, the number of 2015 graduates interested in teaching math and science was lower than in 2014. This is an alarming finding, as meeting the demand for well-prepared teachers in STEM areas is critical to the future of our country.