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FRESHMEN AND STEM: The Indicators reports: "In 2016 about 45% of freshmen indicated they planned to major in an S&E field (up from about 8% in 2000); about 16% in the biological and agricultural sciences; 11% in engineering; 10% in the social and behavioral sciences; 6% in mathematics, statistics, or computer sciences; and 3% in the physical sciences."

Other Highlights: "Between 2012 and 2015, the number of S&E associate’s degrees continued to increase despite a decline in the number of associate’s degrees awarded in computer sciences."

"The number of associate’s degrees in S&E technologies, not included in S&E degree totals because of their applied focus, grew by 72% since 2000. In 2015, about 144,000 associate’s degrees were awarded in S&E technologies, down from 166,000 in 2012. The proportion of associate’s degrees in engineering technologies . . . has declined from 48% of all S&E technologies degrees in 2000 to 24% in 2015 (or from 7% of all associate’s degrees to 3%), whereas the proportion of associate’s degrees in health technologies has increased from 50% in 2000 to 73% in 2013 (or from 7% of all associate’s degrees to 10%)."

Source: National Science Board, 2018 S&E Indicators Digest:​ "Despite accounting for one-half of the college-educated workforce, women in 2015 accounted for less than one-third of S&E employment. Although the number of women in S&E jobs has risen significantly in the past 2 decades (from 755,000 in 1993 to 1,818,000 in 2015), the disparity has narrowed only modestly. Similarly, underrepresented minorities—blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—have made substantial strides in S&E employment, increasing from 217,000 S&E workers in 1993 to 705,000 in 2015. However, their representation in S&E jobs (11%) remains below their share of the population (27%)."