Unraveling the STEM Pipeline: High School Preparation, College Retention, and Racial Disparities

Abstract

Using a longitudinal nationwide college student dataset along with a quantitative research design, this study examines the link between high school STEM course participation, college STEM major retention, and racial disparities. Specifically, we investigate how high school STEM course participation impacts college STEM major retention and identify racial differences in high school STEM course enrollment and college STEM retention. Our findings show that students who engaged in more rigorous high school STEM coursework, particularly in Physics and Chemistry, are more likely to stay in their STEM majors in college. We also found that this relationship is moderated by students’ racial background. Results show that Asian American students demonstrated the highest retention rates in their STEM majors compared to their White, Latinx, and Black peers. Furthermore, our findings reveal that Asian American and White students tended to complete more years of advanced Physics and Chemistry course in their high school compared to their Black and Latinx counterparts. Overall, this study highlights the need to address racial inequities in STEM education in both high school and college and improve support systems to promote STEM retention across racial groups.