Engineering Demographics

Statistics from a New York Times article over the weekend by Richard Perez-Pena (Milestone Is Passed as 30 Percent of U.S. Adults Report Having a College Degree) - -

• More than 30% of Americans have a college degree.  This is the first time in our history we have achieved this.
• As of last March, 30.4% of people over age 25 in the U.S. held at least a bachelor's degree, and 10.9% held a graduate degree, up from 26.2% and 8.7% 10 years ago.
• In 2001, men held a 3.9% lead in bachelor's degrees and 2.6% points in graduate degrees; by last year, both gaps were down to 0.7%.
• Asian-Americans remain the nation's best-educated racial group - - 50.3% having a bachelor's degree.
• Among college graduates 65 or older, only 23% of those with degrees in STEM majors are women; among 40 to 64, the proportion of women rises to 36%; among those 25 to 39, 45.9% are women.
• STEM graduates are most heavily concentrated on the East and West coasts - - with the the highest percentages in the DC area, California, Washington, and Maryland.  The Southern and Plains states had the lowest.

Although not report in the Times article, we also appear to have divergent education avenues.  Yes, we can claim the 1/3 college statistic - - but 15% of all parking attendants have a B.A. degree.  What you have a degree in (and in many cases where) is more important than it was 30 or so years ago.  The other issue is that 1/3 of all children 8-years old and younger can utilize a smartphone and iPad.  Demand for and individual capabilities with our high technology gadgets define opportunities in the STEM world.  Demographics is destiny - - who and what we are as a nation and planet is currently on display at the nursery in the local hospital.  Destiny is also on display at the local mall when the 4-year old walks by with an iPhone.