This is how much harder STEM majors actually work (2024)

FAQs

This is how much harder STEM majors actually work? ›

STEM majors, on average, spend 16.5 hours preparing for class (doing homework, lab work or reading) compared to humanities, who spend just 14 hours per week. That means STEM majors work more than 17 percent harder on homework than humanities.

STEM majors can be challenging, but their rigor shouldn't stop you from pursuing one. Expect to take a variety of foundational science, math and computer courses. In your program, you'll be asked to apply critical thinking, data analysis and complex problem-solving skills to a variety of projects and experiments.

Geological engineering is considered one of the hardest STEM majors because it combines elements of various disciplines, including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, and engineering. It also requires a strong understanding of math and physics and the ability to analyze and interpret complex data sets.

Nationwide, 6-yr degree-completion rates in STEM majors are less than 40% (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology [PCAST], 2012), raising concerns for the ability of the United States to maintain its competitiveness in science and technology fields (Hira, 2010).

Some reasons are: STEM faculty are among the toughest graders, even if they do not teach the classes that have the most demanding workloads. Grade inflation is less prevalent in the STEM majors than in any other majors on campus. Grading on a curve is more common in STEM classes than in non-STEM classes.

For various reasons, a significant proportion of students who initially intend to study STEM fields abandon them several years later. A recent study found that a total of 56 percent of postsecondary students who declared STEM majors in their freshman year left these fields over the next 6 years (Chen 2009).

The average GPA earned in STEM courses is lower than the cumulative GPA of STEM majors. In biology, the average GPA in 100 level courses is 3.01, in 200 level courses it is 3.14, and in 300 level courses it is 3.39. Chemistry shows an upward trend as well, although the courses start at a lower average.

#1 Chemistry

According to the average Grade Point Average of students in the program, Chemistry wins the prize title hardest major. A Chemistry major overlaps somewhat with biology, but chemistry extends beyond living things.

According to the annual National Survey of Student Engagement, software engineering, computer science and astronomy majors enjoy the least stressful college experience, and spend the most time relaxing and socializing, including hanging out with friends, playing video games and going online.

Are STEM degrees declining? ›

As STEM degrees continue to rise at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, degrees in arts and humanities are declining at an alarming rate. Between 2009 and 2015, the number of STEM majors in bachelor's, master's, and doctorate programs grew by 43 percent, while humanities majors declined by 0.4 percent.

One such point is the fact that as girls progress through their schooling, they become less interested in STEM. In high school alone, 60% of girls who were interested in STEM as a freshman are no longer interested by graduation.

Of the 1.8 million bachelor's degrees awarded in 2015–16, about 331,000 (18 percent) were in STEM fields. The percentage of bachelor's degrees awarded that were in STEM fields varied by race/ethnicity.

Life as a STEM major might be busier than the average college student's life, but it isn't crazily so. If you're genuinely interested in STEM industries and you're willing to invest some time and energy into getting yourself there, you may ultimately be rewarded with job security and a solid paycheck.

According to the American Engineering Association, STEM graduates earn about 87% more than non-STEM graduates. Even STEM majors who eventually work in non-STEM occupations earn more than their counterparts who do not hold STEM degrees.

Discrimination and bias in science and technology often hinder minority students' academic success, Riegle-Crumb said. Researchers considered, too, that black and Latino students are more likely to come from low-income families and have less access to academic resources that help prepare students for college.

Despite decades of attempts at leveling the playing field, Black college students continue to leave STEM fields at higher rates than their White peers. According to a 2019 Educational Researcher study of undergraduates, 40% of Black students switch out of STEM majors, compared with 29% of White students (1).

1. Sewanee-University of the South: 22.7% of students did not graduate within six years.

Schools like to see an upward grade trajectory and will take into consideration difficult personal circ*mstances when evaluating a GPA. A science GPA around 3.3-3.4 is Very Good, one between 3.5-3.7 is usually Excellent and one above 3.8 is generally Superior.

A 3.7 GPA stands for a Grade Point Average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. It indicates that you've earned a predominantly A- average in your courses. A 3.7 GPA is considered to be a very good GPA and is often an indicator of strong academic performance.

What are the least profitable STEM majors? ›

In fact, Petroleum Engineering is the only major (from all fields) that has a starting salary greater than $100,000. Not all STEM majors pay great to start though, three pay $40,000 or less (Animal Sciences, Ecology, and Zoology), placing them in the company of the lowest paying majors.

The STEM fields that are expected to see the most growth by then include statistics (35.4% growth), information security (33.3%), epidemiology (29.6%), and computer science (21.9%). If you have these skills related to these fields, you should expect to have your pick of great jobs.

Going into STEM isn't just a great way to get a job. It's also a way to get a high paying job. Studies have shown that 63 percent of people with a degree in STEM-related work get paid more than someone with a bachelor's degree in anything else.

Benjamin Bradley Bolger (born 1975) is an American perpetual student who has earned 17 degrees as of March 2022 and claims to be the second-most credentialed person in modern history after Michael W. Nicholson (who has 30 degrees).

Asian Americans had the highest educational attainment of any race, followed by whites who had a higher percentage of high school graduates but a lower percentage of college graduates. Persons identifying as Hispanic or Latino, without regard to race, had the lowest educational attainment.

Can I be successful without a STEM degree? ›

While you can find high-salary earning potential with a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) major, you can also pursue non-STEM majors that lead to high-paying roles. Majors in the arts, humanities, social sciences and public administration fields are great high-paying options.

Regarding proportion of STEM degrees awarded compared to non-STEM degrees, STEM master's degrees accounted for 24.7 percent of all master's degrees awarded in 2015 (NSB, 2018d), while at the doctoral level, STEM degrees accounted for 64.4 percent of all Ph.

Findings. Overall, women accounted for 29.3 percent of STEM federal workers. Science occupations had the most (49,546), while math occupations in the federal sector had the fewest number of women (6,469). There were significantly fewer women in Technology and Engineering than expected.

Historically STEM fields have been dominated by men, which has created a taboo for women scientists and technologists. Women in these fields can be stereotyped and this can cause women to not want to pursue these degrees or occupations.

"Girls become interested in so-called STEM subjects around the age of 11 and then quickly lose interest when they're 15."

According to a new study the answer is 15. Read on to find out more about the findings and what experts suggest you can do about it. A new survey conducted by Microsoft in Europe found that young girls gain interest in STEM subjects at age 11 and then lose it again by age 15.

Overall, 140,000 master's degrees (17 percent) were conferred in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)1 fields. support services, as well as personal and culinary services.

National Science Board's Elementary and Secondary STEM Education?report, the U.S. is behind many global competitors,? ranking 25th out of a list of 37? countries in mathematics literacy and seventh out of 37 countries in science.

Students in Malaysia and Tunisia are among the most likely to graduate in a STEM field, according to UNESCO statistics. Other countries with a strong share of STEM graduates are the United Arab Emirates and South Korea, while Western Europe and the US have lower numbers.

But why do STEM jobs, like engineering, earn so much more on average than non-STEM jobs? One common explanation is that engineering jobs are in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that 140,000 new engineering jobs would be created between 2016-2026.

How to survive STEM major? ›

Psychology is commonly thought of as the easiest of the science majors thanks to its relative lack of complex math, although psych majors can still expect to do a fair amount of statistical analysis on their way to a degree.

Geological engineering is considered one of the hardest STEM majors because it combines elements of various disciplines, including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, and engineering. It also requires a strong understanding of math and physics and the ability to analyze and interpret complex data sets.

Because STEM jobs generally require at least a baccalaureate degree, the supply and demand are often out of sync, so there can be a shortage of applicants for an emerging technology and a surplus for a mature technology.

The number of students graduating with a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) has risen dramatically in California. Both students and colleges are responding to changes in our economy, which increasingly rewards highly educated workers, especially those with STEM degrees.

In general, STEM majors are tougher than non-STEM majors. This is for reasons pertaining to subject matter, rigour, tougher grading, study time required, acceptance competitiveness, lab work and tutorial work in addition to course lectures, and more.

But before you reap the fruits, you will have to work hard and focus more than other college students first. College majors in the STEM field tend to be the most stressful, such as engineering and architecture.

Are STEM majors harder than business majors? ›

While all majors are not easy. All are difficult in some degree, overall the STEM majors tend to be harder than business majors. I am not saying the statistics that must be learned in a business major is easy and if one gets a Masters in Business Information Systems the math is downright scary.

According to the annual National Survey of Student Engagement, software engineering, computer science and astronomy majors enjoy the least stressful college experience, and spend the most time relaxing and socializing, including hanging out with friends, playing video games and going online.

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering

These two are often the least popular engineering specialties to major in, which can make them easier to get into, especially compared to more competitive engineering degrees like computer science.

Some students in STEM have had to drop classes because of increased workload. Burdened by the combination of synchronous class sessions and pre-recorded lectures, students in STEM classes said they are spending more time "in class" than in a typical in-person semester.

The Demand for STEM Workers

While talent shortage is a concern for most industries globally, the scenario is particularly grim for STEM fields. The US alone will have to fill nearly 3.5 million STEM jobs by 2025, in areas such as computing, engineering, and advanced manufacturing.

Only 20% of US high school graduates are prepared for college-level coursework in STEM majors. According to a White House report, 20% of high school grads are ready for the rigors of STEM majors.

Architecture tops the list of hardest working college majors, with students averaging 22.2 hours of study time each week. This figure inevitably takes a toll. These students suffer from the most sleep deprivation, averaging just 5.28 hours a night, which is well below the seven hours most experts recommended.

Yes, a non-STEM degree is worth it. Many non-STEM degrees lead to careers that are just as lucrative and fulfilling as STEM careers.

Majors in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – drew the highest salaries. Those in theology, social services and various educational services were among the lowest, the report said.

Majors like computer science and agriculture that require technical skills and an extensive math background usually have the highest dropout rates. In addition, many students drop out due to the coursework and rigorous requirements of the major.

How do you survive a STEM major? ›