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. 2019 Apr;48(3):133-144.
doi: 10.3102/0013189x19831006. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Does STEM Stand Out? Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields

Catherine Riegle-Crumb  1 , Barbara King  2 , Yasmiyn Irizarry  1
Affiliations

Does STEM Stand Out? Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields

Catherine Riegle-Crumb et al. Educ Res. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Informed by the theoretical lens of opportunity hoarding, this study considers whether STEM postsecondary fields stand apart via the disproportionate exclusion of Black and Latina/o youth. Utilizing national data from the Beginning Postsecondary Study (BPS), the authors investigate whether Black and Latina/o youth who begin college as STEM majors are more likely to depart than their White peers, either by switching fields or by leaving college without a degree, and whether patterns of departure in STEM fields differ from those in non-STEM fields. Results reveal evidence of persistent racial/ethnic inequality in STEM degree attainment not found in other fields.

Keywords: higher education; postsecondary education; race; regression analyses; secondary data analysis.

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Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.. Descriptive statistics: Choice of college major by race/ethnicity.
Source. Data from Beginning Postsecondary Study 2004/09. Note. Total N = 5,626. Weighted percentages of each racial/ethnic group whose first declared major was in each of the above fields. *Indicates that a significantly higher percentage of Black students chose to major in business, compared to both White and Latino students (p < .05).
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.. Descriptive statistics: Persistence patterns in chosen field by race/ethnicity.
Source. Data from Beginning Postsecondary Study 2004/09. Note. Total N = 5,626. Figure displays the weighted percentages of each racial/ethnic group who persisted to earn a degree in that major, switched and earned a degree in a different major, and left college without a degree. Percentages for a racial/ethnic group within a given major should sum to 100%. Statistically significant differences are shown comparing each minority group to the reference group of White students. The category of persistence is compared to nonpersistence (a combined category for both switching and leaving), while the categories of switching and leaving are each compared to persistence. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.. Effect sizes of racial/ethnic differences in high school academic preparation by chosen field.
Source. Data from Beginning Postsecondary Study 2004/09. Note. B/W refers to differences between Black and White students, and L/W refers to differences between Latina/o and White students. Effect sizes are calculated as the difference between the two group means on a given measure, divided by the pooled standard deviation. All differences are statistically significant with the exception of B/W differences in math and science course-taking for humanities majors and L/W differences in course-taking and GPA for humanities majors.
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