Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Completions Survey

National Center for Education Statistics

Science and Engineering Degrees as a Percentage of Higher Education Degrees Conferred

This indicator represents the extent to which a state's higher education degree awards are concentrated in S&E fields. S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level only, health sciences are also included in S&E fields of study. Counts of both S&E degrees and higher education degrees conferred include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees; associate's degrees and professional degrees are not included.

The number of degrees awarded is an actual count provided by the National Center for Education Statistics and includes degrees from both public and private institutions. These values are reported by the state in which the school is located and include degrees awarded to both in-person and online students. Degree data reflect the location of the degree-granting institution, not the state where degree-earning students reside. Student mobility after graduation is not accounted for, which may make this indicator less meaningful in predicting the qualifications of a state's future technical workforce. 

Data source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

This indicator represents the extent to which a state's higher education degree awards are concentrated in S&E fields. S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level only, health sciences are also included in S&E fields of study. Counts of both S&E degrees and higher education degrees conferred include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees; associate's degrees and professional degrees are not included.

Digest of Education Statistics

Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid

National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs (NASSGAP)

State Expenditures on Student Aid per Undergraduate Student

The cost of an undergraduate education can be reduced with financial assistance from the state government, the federal government, or an academic institution. This indicator is calculated by dividing the amount of financial support from state grants to both public and private institutions in the state by the total undergraduate fall enrollment at public and private degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the state. A high value is one indicator of state efforts to provide access to higher education. The actual distribution of state grants to individual students may be affected by the percentage of undergraduates who are state residents.

State expenditures on student aid are collected by the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs annual survey. It is reported by the location of the school as is the number of undergraduate students, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.

This indicator should be viewed relative to the tuition charged to undergraduates in a state, as some states have chosen to subsidize tuition for all students at public institutions rather than provide grants. Other differences between states, such as the amount of scholarship aid available from other sources, the percentage of students attending out-of-state institutions, and students’ eligibility for state funding, mean that readers should exercise caution when making comparisons between states (which may vary dramatically) and examining changes over time. Rapid increases in undergraduate student enrollment in a state may cause this indicator to fall, even during periods when absolute state student aid expenditures have increased.

Total state grant expenditures for financial aid include need-based and non–need-based grants. State assistance through subsidized or unsubsidized loans and awards to students at the graduate and first professional degree levels is not included. The year is the end date of the academic year. For example, data for 2019 represent costs and enrollment for the 2018–19 academic year.

Data sources: National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, Annual Survey Report; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, *Digest of Education Statistics*.

The cost of an undergraduate education can be reduced with financial assistance from the state government, the federal government, or an academic institution. This indicator is calculated by dividing the amount of financial support from state grants to both public and private institutions in the state by the total undergraduate fall enrollment at public and private degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the state. A high value is one indicator of state efforts to provide access to higher education.

Regional Economic Accounts

Bureau of Economic Analysis

Income and Product Data

Government of Puerto Rico, Office of the Governor

National Patterns of R&D Resources

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

R&D as a Percentage of Gross Domestic Product

This indicator represents the extent to which R&D plays a role in a state's economy. A high value indicates that a state has a high intensity of R&D activity or a major federal R&D facility, which may support future growth in knowledge-based industries. New Mexico commonly has the greatest value for this indicator by a significant margin due to the high concentration of R&D activities at two national laboratories in the state, combined with the state’s relatively small gross domestic product.

R&D performance refers to R&D activities conducted in the state by federal and state agencies, businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations. R&D-performing organizations either fund their own R&D activities or receive funding from other organizations. For example, a considerable portion of academic R&D performance is funded by the federal government.

The statistics on U.S. R&D discussed in this section reflect the periodic National Patterns of R&D Resources reports and data series from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the National Science Foundation (NSF), which provide a comprehensive account of total U.S. R&D performance. The National Patterns data, in turn, derive from six major NSF surveys of the organizations that perform the bulk of U.S. R&D:

* Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey
* Higher Education Research and Development Survey
* Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development
* FFRDC Research and Development Survey
* Survey of State Government Research and Development
* Survey of Research and Development Funding and Performance by Nonprofit Organizations

The National Patterns analysis integrates R&D spending and funding data from these separate surveys into U.S. R&D performance totals, which are then reported on a calendar year basis and for the main performing sectors and funding sources.

Data sources: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, National Patterns of R&D Resources; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Domestic Product data; Government of Puerto Rico, Office of the Governor, Gross Domestic Product data.

This indicator represents the extent to which R&D plays a role in a state's economy. R&D performance refers to R&D activities conducted in the state by federal and state agencies, businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations. R&D-performing organizations either fund their own R&D activities or receive funding from other organizations. For example, a considerable portion of academic R&D performance is funded by the federal government.

American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

U.S. Census Bureau

Knowledge- and Technology-Intensive Industry Employment as a Percentage of Total Employment

This indicator represents the portion of a state's total employment attributable to the knowledge- and technology-intensive (KTI) industries compared to the state’s total employment. KTI industries are those industries with high and medium-high R&D intensity, where R&D intensity is defined as the ratio of R&D expenditures to production. They consist of nine manufacturing industries—chemicals and chemical products; pharmaceuticals; computer, electronic, and optical products; electrical equipment; other machinery and equipment; motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers; air and spacecraft and related machinery; railroad, military vehicles and other transport equipment; medical and dental instruments—and three services industries—information technology and other information services; software publishing; and scientific research and development.

States seek to attract such industries because their relatively high compensation levels draw workers and increase state tax revenues.

For more details about KTI industries, see *Indicators 2024* report “Production and Trade of Knowledge- and Technology-Intensive Industries Technical Appendix.”

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS).

This indicator shows the relative size of technology-focused employment in a state. KTI industries include both manufacturing and service industries with high and medium-high investments in R&D relative to their production.

Advanced Science and Engineering Degrees as a Percentage of S&E Degrees Conferred

This indicator represents the extent to which a state's higher education programs in S&E are concentrated at the graduate level. S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level only, health sciences are also included in S&E fields of study. Advanced S&E degrees include master's and doctoral degrees. Total S&E degrees include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees but exclude associate's degrees. The indicator value is computed by dividing the number of advanced S&E degrees by the total number of S&E degrees awarded by the higher education institutions within the state.

The number of degrees awarded is an actual count provided by the National Center for Education Statistics and includes degrees from both public and private institutions. These values are reported by the state in which the school is located and include degrees awarded to both in-person and online students. Degree data reflect the location of the degree-granting institution, not the state where degree-earning students reside. 

Student mobility after graduation is not accounted for, which may make this indicator less meaningful in predicting the qualifications of a state's future technical workforce. In states with few S&E graduate programs, the number of advanced S&E degrees conferred may vary considerably from year to year. Readers should use caution when making annual comparisons for those states with small numbers of S&E graduate students.

Data source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

This indicator represents the extent to which a state's higher education programs in S&E are concentrated at the graduate level. S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level only, health sciences are also included in S&E fields of study. Advanced S&E degrees include master's and doctoral degrees. Total S&E degrees include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees but exclude associate's degrees.

Science and Engineering Doctoral Degrees as a Percentage of Science and Engineering Degrees Conferred

This indicator represents the extent to which a state's higher education programs in S&E are focused on producing individuals with the highest level of technical expertise. The academic and technical leaders of the future are often drawn from individuals receiving S&E doctoral degrees. S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level only, health sciences are also included in S&E fields of study. Total S&E degrees conferred include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees but exclude associate's degrees.

The indicator value is computed by dividing the number of doctoral degrees awarded in S&E fields by the total number of S&E degrees awarded by the higher education institutions within the state. 

The numbers of degrees awarded is an actual count provided by the National Center for Education Statistics and includes degrees from both public and private institutions. These values are reported by the state in which the school is located and include degrees awarded to both in-person and online students. Degree data reflect the location of the degree-granting institution, not the state where degree-earning students reside. Student mobility after graduation is not accounted for, which may make this indicator less meaningful in predicting the qualifications of a state's future technical workforce. In states with a small number of S&E graduate programs, the number of S&E doctoral degrees awarded may vary considerably from year to year. Readers should use caution when making annual comparisons for those states with small numbers of S&E doctorates.

Data source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

This indicator represents the extent to which a state's higher education programs in S&E are focused on producing individuals with the highest level of technical expertise. S&E fields include agricultural sciences and natural resources; biological and biomedical sciences; computer and information sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics and statistics; multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary sciences; physical sciences; psychology; and social sciences. At the doctoral level only, health sciences are also included in S&E fields of study. Total S&E degrees conferred include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees but exclude associate's degrees.

Average Undergraduate Charge at Public 4-Year Institutions

The average annual charge for an in-state resident undergraduate student to attend a public 4-year academic institution is one indicator of how accessible higher education is to a state's students. The annual charge includes standard in-state charges for tuition, required fees, room, and board for a full-time undergraduate student who is a resident of that state. These charges were weighted by the number of full-time undergraduates attending each public institution within the state. The total charge for all public 4-year institutions in the state was divided by the total number of full-time undergraduates attending all public 4-year institutions in the state. The year is the end date of the academic year. For example, data for 2019 represent costs and enrollment for the 2018–19 academic year.

Average undergraduate charge is collected from institutions by the National Center for Education Statistics in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Undergraduate charges have increased significantly in all states, even in inflation-adjusted terms. The data in this indicator do not include any adjustments for such financial aid.

Data source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, *Digest of Education Statistics*.

The average annual charge for an in-state resident undergraduate student to attend a public 4-year academic institution is one indicator of how accessible higher education is to a state's students. The annual charge includes standard in-state charges for tuition, required fees, room, and board for a full-time undergraduate student who is a resident of that state.

Science & Engineering State Indicators

Science & Engineering State Indicators

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Science and Engineering Degrees as a Percentage of Higher Education Degrees Conferred

State Expenditures on Student Aid per Undergraduate Student

R&D as a Percentage of Gross Domestic Product

Knowledge- and Technology-Intensive Industry Employment as a Percentage of Total Employment

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