Difference between revisions of "Undergraduate participation data"

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==Race==
 
==Race==
Throughout the years there has been extensive literature concerning underrepresented minorities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)fields, yet the field of Economics has yet to gain the same level attention. Data has shown that underrepresented minorities should have a greater stake in the field of Economics, and the Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession has attempted to alleviate this issue through its programs. Please click [http://www.aeaweb.org/committees/CSMGEP/index.php here] for more information on CSMGEP.
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Throughout the years there has been extensive literature concerning underrepresented minorities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, yet the field of Economics has yet to gain the same level attention. Data has shown that underrepresented minorities should have a greater stake in the field of Economics, and the Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession has attempted to alleviate this issue through its programs. Please click [http://www.aeaweb.org/committees/CSMGEP/index.php here] for more information on CSMGEP.
  
 
Significant differences in participation are especially evident for Black and Hispanic students. In 2009, 5.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees in Economics were awarded to Black students, where areas in STEM fields Black students were awarded 8 percent of degrees, and in Social Science fields 10.1 percent of degrees. In 2009, 6.4 percent of bachelor’s degrees in Economics were awarded to Hispanic students, where areas in STEM fields Hispanic students were awarded 7.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees, and 9.9 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in the Social Sciences.  
 
Significant differences in participation are especially evident for Black and Hispanic students. In 2009, 5.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees in Economics were awarded to Black students, where areas in STEM fields Black students were awarded 8 percent of degrees, and in Social Science fields 10.1 percent of degrees. In 2009, 6.4 percent of bachelor’s degrees in Economics were awarded to Hispanic students, where areas in STEM fields Hispanic students were awarded 7.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees, and 9.9 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in the Social Sciences.  

Revision as of 12:56, 30 October 2011

General

Since 1990, women have only constituted about 30 percent of undergraduate economic majors. This imbalance at the undergraduate level contributes to the underrepresentation of women at all levels of the academic economics pipeline.

In terms of race, the percentage of minorities awarded undergraduate degrees in economics has hovered around 12 percent since 1996. Since 2002, the total percentage of minorities awarded undergraduate degrees in science and engineering has hovered around 17 percent and for social sciences as a whole, 20 percent. The fact that minority students comprise a larger percentage of science and engineering majors (fields that are typically criticized due to the lack of minority representation) than they do economics majors is alarming.

Race

Throughout the years there has been extensive literature concerning underrepresented minorities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, yet the field of Economics has yet to gain the same level attention. Data has shown that underrepresented minorities should have a greater stake in the field of Economics, and the Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession has attempted to alleviate this issue through its programs. Please click here for more information on CSMGEP.

Significant differences in participation are especially evident for Black and Hispanic students. In 2009, 5.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees in Economics were awarded to Black students, where areas in STEM fields Black students were awarded 8 percent of degrees, and in Social Science fields 10.1 percent of degrees. In 2009, 6.4 percent of bachelor’s degrees in Economics were awarded to Hispanic students, where areas in STEM fields Hispanic students were awarded 7.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees, and 9.9 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in the Social Sciences.

EconByRace.pngSTEMRace.pngSSRace.png Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System(IPEDS) Completions, 1995-2009 (Washington , D.C.: NCES, 2011). Created by data provided by WebCaspar.

Comparison Data: Click here to see a comparison of participation rates by race in Economics, the Social Sciences, and STEM fields.

Gender

In Economics, women have made great strides in terms of increasing their representation in the field. Although there is still work to be done, especially early on in the pipeline. Attracting a greater percentage of women to the field of economics at the undergraduate level has shown to be crucial in order to have greater representation at the doctorate level. The Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession has, like CSMGEP, brought attention to this issue and has created programs promoting women in economics. For more information on CSWEP please click here

The STEM fields and the other Social Sciences attract many more female majors than does Economics. While women are only awarded 30 percent of the undergraduate degrees in Economics, they are awarded about 54 percent of undergraduate degrees in the Social Sciences and 52 percent of the degrees in STEM.

EconByGen.pngSTEMGen.pngSSGen.png Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System(IPEDS) Completions, 1995-2009 (Washington , D.C.: NCES, 2011). Created by data provided by WebCaspar.

Comparison Data: Click here to see a comparison of participation rates by gender in Economics, the Social Sciences, and STEM fields

Time Trends

EconDegYear.png EconDeg%.png Click on the graphs above to zoom. Summary: The scatterplot above shows a time trend in Economics degrees awarded to men and women. The number of degrees awarded in the field of Economics has steadily increased, which is a sign that the field has attracted more interest. The data also demonstrates that the gap between degrees awarded to men and women in Economics is steadily becoming smaller, although there are still improvements to be made.

Click here to download a basic database of Economics degrees earned by Gender from 1966-2009. Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System(IPEDS) Completions, 1995-2009 (Washington , D.C.: NCES, 2011). Created by data provided by WebCaspar