STEM Attrition: College Students’ Paths Into and Out of STEM Fields

This report from the Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics analyzes data collected on a cohort of students on their movement into and out of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields from the start of their postsecondary education through the subsequent six years. The study focuses on the rate of attrition from STEM and other fields, characteristics of students who leave STEM fields, course taking and performance differences between students who stay in or leave these fields, and the factors associated with STEM attrition.