Native American Participation among Bachelors in Physical Sciences and Engineering

The number of bachelor’s degrees earned by Native Americans in the United States peaked in 2010, but fewer degrees were earned in the next 3 years; this is a troubling trend echoed across several of the physical sciences and engineering fields. Overall, Native Americans are earning physical science and engineering bachelor’s degrees at lower rates than the total population. For every 1,000 degrees earned by Native Americans 41, were earned in engineering and 12 were earned in the physical sciences, compared to 54 and 15 by the total population, respectively. Reporting the proportion of degrees earned shows a clear downward trend for Native Americans among degree recipients. If trends continue at their current rates, underrepresentation in these fields will only increase for Native Americans.