Bachelor’s degree graduates earning STEM degrees are expected to earn the highest starting salaries from the college class of 2019, according to a new survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
NACE’s Winter 2019 Salary Survey found that graduates with engineering ($69,188), computer science ($67,539), and math and sciences degrees ($62,177) are once again projected to be the top-paid graduates. Also coming in near the top of the list are business ($57,657) and social sciences ($57,310) majors.
Agriculture and natural resources majors are projected to see the greatest gain in starting salary, at 4.1 percent. With an expected increase of 4.0 percent, engineering majors follow closely behind, while the average salary for computer science majors is anticipated to be 2.3 percent more than their counterparts from the class of 2018.
STEM disciplines traditionally offer higher salaries, but many of these positions sit vacant due to a lack of highly-qualified applicants.
One of the most prominent examples of this gap is found in computer science, which, according to Code.org, has more than 475,000 open jobs nationwide. Those same statistics show that only 49,291 computer science students graduated into the workforce last year.
Experts point to the “vitally important” issue of diversity in computer science, and more and more reports seek to offer recommendations to improve retention rates in undergraduate computer science programs. One major step? Address racial and gender inequities.
Despite high earnings potential, boys’ interest in STEM careers has dropped over the past year, while girls’ interest remains the same, according to an annual survey from Junior Achievement and Ernst & Young LLP.
Last year, 36 percent of surveyed male high school students said they wanted a STEM career, but this year, only 24 percent reported the same. For two years straight, just 11 percent of female high school students say they want to pursue a STEM profession.
Girls’ low interest in STEM education and careers isn’t exactly new–by middle school, many girls lose interest in and enthusiasm for STEM subjects for a variety of reasons, including the false perception that science, math, and technology classes aren’t “cool,” as well as a lack of female representation in STEM professions.
As more industries become reliant on tech-savvy talent, the disconnect between students’ STEM education and hiring managers’ expectations is becoming increasingly challenging. As companies continue to evolve their hiring requirements to include more of these in-demand skills, creating opportunities to help all students be prepared to fill these roles is imperative. Strategies to build next-gen STEM leaders include:
- Teach students to adapt to a fast-changing world
- Create relevancy to facilitate understanding and application of STEM concepts
- Partner with local companies to provide maximum exposure
- First-generation students are more likely to seriously consider leaving college - April 17, 2024
- How higher ed can meet workforce needs - April 15, 2024
- Higher ed leaders believe continuing education units are undervalued - April 10, 2024