Progress in Meeting Degree Production in Data Science & Technology, Education, Healthcare, and Science & Engineering - May 2025

Oct 15, 2026

Progress in Meeting Degree Production in Data Science & Technology, Education, Healthcare, and Science & Engineering summarizes Virginia’s SCHEV monitoring of STEM-H degree output using annual General Assembly appropriations beginning in 2018. It reports total additional STEM-H awards since 2017 and compares field-by-field growth and declines, noting strong expansion in Data Science and Technology alongside decreases in Education and Science and Engineering. It also highlights institutional differences, including effects from federal PLUS policy changes and enrollment trends affecting HBCUs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Awards by Field

Table 1. Total Degrees Awarded, 2017-2024

Awards by Institution

Appendix: Actual v. Expected Annual Award Change

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Progress in Meeting Degree Production in Data Science & Technology, Education, Healthcare, and Science & Engineering May 2025 Table of Contents Overview ................................................................................................................................... 1 Awards by Field ........................................................................................................................ 2 Awards by Institution ............................................................................................................... 3 Appendix: Actual v. Expected Annual Award Change.......................................................... 10 OVERVIEW Beginning in 2018, the General Assembly of Virginia has appropriated $28.4 million annually to increase degree production in Data Science and Technology, Science and Engineering, Healthcare and Education (STEM-H) fields across 14 of the Commonwealth’s public fouryear institutions. The General Assembly has included language that details corresponding requirements and expectations for each institution in the appropriation act since 2018. Collectively, the funding aims to produce a total of 880 new bachelors, masters, doctoral and first professional degrees each year above a 2016-2017 academic year baseline of approximately 22,000 . As Virginia’s coordinating body for higher education, SCHEV is mandated to track each institution’s progress and reports to the chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees annually. Since 2017, awardee institutions have produced 3,275 additional STEM-H degrees. However, growth trends have varied both by degree field and institution. Degree production in Data Science and Technology has grown consistently under the initiative, increasing by 63% between 2017 and 2024, whereas other fields have seen fluctuating trends over the same period. Notably, the number of degrees awarded annually in Science and Engineering has declined by 2.8% overall, while those in Education declined by 7.3% . Across institutions, rates of degree production have also skewed. • In Data Science and Technology fields, the combined increase in awards from the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech account for 63% of total growth for the Commonwealth, while that from George Mason University accounts for another 23% . • Degree production in Education has increased consistently at both James Madison University and the University of Virginia, while other institutions experienced less predictable award rates, and two institutions – Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University – have awarded fewer degrees over time. • Radford University has contributed considerably to growth in Healthcare degrees, following its 2020 merger with the Jefferson College of Health Science. • Virginia Tech continues to see the largest growth in Science and Engineering degree production, followed in 2024 by George Mason University, the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary. All other institutions saw declines in the field. Compared to 2017 levels, Norfolk State University has produced fewer degrees across all STEM-H programs. This coincides with changes to the federal Parental Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) Program, which disproportionally impacted families of students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) . Broadly, HBCU institutions have experienced declining enrollment between the fall semester of 2014 and that of 2018, with corresponding declines in completion. The following narrative, tables and charts describe the total awards produced by area/field and institution within the context of the General Assembly’s goals. Awards by Field Cumulative award production in STEM-H fields grew by 3,275 awards from the 2017 baseline to 2024. The following table and chart depict change over time in each degree field

FAQs

What funding initiative drives Virginia’s increased STEM-H degree production?

Beginning in 2018, Virginia’s General Assembly appropriated $28.4 million annually to increase degree production in Data Science and Technology, Science and Engineering, Healthcare, and Education across 14 public four-year institutions.

How have degree awards changed overall since 2017?

Awardee institutions have produced 3,275 additional STEM-H degrees since 2017, with growth varying by field and institution over time.

Which fields have grown the most, and which have declined?

Data Science and Technology grew consistently, increasing 63% from 2017 to 2024, while Science and Engineering declined by 2.8% overall and Education declined by 7.3%.

Oct 15, 2026

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