Grad enrollment rises 30 percent in science, engineering, healthcare
The National Science Foundation just released its findings of more than 10 years of research on graduate students' studies. Their findings show enrollment in science, engineering and healthcare (SEC) fields has seen a 30 percent jump since 2000.
About 630,000 graduate students were attending school in SEC fields in 2010, which is a significant increase from about 500,000 in 2000. This shift in degree pursuits is evidence of the growing number of Americans specializing in scientific fields rather than liberal arts.
In light of job growth in healthcare sectors, biomedical engineering degrees increased by 165 percent over the last decade, along with a substantial growth in clinical medicine. The number of female postdoctoral candidates grew about twice as fast as males, further reducing the gender gap in science and medical professions.
Historically, the United States has not been a powerhouse of churning out graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. With a push from the government, however, students from elementary school to college are being encouraged to excel in STEM classes.
