Utah Women in STEM Education: A 2019 Update

According to a recent article in Utah Business Magazine, Utah had the strongest job growth in the nation in 2018, with no signs of slowing down. Forbes ranked Utah second in their 2018 Best States for Business scorecard, moving it up from third the previous year. Given the increase in the number of high-tech firms in Utah, it should come as no surprise that many jobs are based in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. In fact, Utah contains three of the top 100 best cities for STEM jobs in the United States, including Salt Lake City (#8), Provo (#26), and Ogden (#41). These rankings are based on a combined score that includes professional opportunities, STEM-friendliness, and quality of life. Provo ranked first in the nation for the single category of “Highest STEM Employment Growth.”

STEM Disciplines

STEM fields include the broad disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. The availability and variety of STEM majors have evolved since the early 2000s. Longstanding fields such as biology and engineering have branched into subfields and specialty areas, creating robust industry demands. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that between 2009 and 2015, STEM-based jobs increased 10.5% compared with 5.4% in non-STEM occupations. Computer professions had the highest growth rate, followed by engineers. The Bureau of Labor estimates that between 2014 and 2024 occupations in mathematical sciences will grow by 28.2%, in computer-related fields by 12.5%, and in architecture and engineering by 8%.

K-12 STEM Pipeline

Utah males outperformed females in every proficiency level for both cohorts in fourth and eighth grades for math and science. The largest gender gap was in eighth-grade science, where males led females by 9 and 8 percentage points, respectively. On a positive note, all students performed better in 2015/2017. In math categories for both grades, males and females improved at the same rate between 2009/2011 and 2015/2017 (2% in fourth and 4% in eighth). This indicates that all Utah students are improving on these measurements regardless of gender. Science proficiency also improved for all students at similar rates.

Postsecondary STEM Degrees

Utah women continue to have strong completion rates in agricultural sciences and health professions. While certificates lower than associate degrees are an important entry point into healthcare, associate-level degrees and above generally result in higher-paying jobs. According to Utah Department of Workforce Services, two of the three fastest growing occupations are affiliated with healthcare and computer software, which typically require a bachelor’s degree. Statewide, there was an 8% increase in the percent of associate degrees in health professions that were earned by women (from 74% to 82%), while the percentage of bachelor’s degrees earned by women in this field remained fairly stable, around 79%. Utah women also earn masters and doctoral degrees in these areas at higher rates than Utah men.

To learn more about Utah Women in STEM Education: A 2019 Update read the entire brief.