Science & Engineering Indicators - STEM Talent: Education, Training, and Workforce - NSB-2026-1 - February 12, 2026

Oct 15, 2026

Biennial Science and Engineering Indicators report focused on the U.S. STEM labor force and talent pipeline. Prepared by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the NSF, under National Science Board guidance, the report undergoes extensive review. The structure covers STEM workforce size, composition, labor market outcomes, geographic distribution, growth, and foreign-born STEM workers, then traces pathways into STEM occupations, including K–12 performance, higher education pipeline, degrees, persistence, postsecondary enrollment, and doctoral transitions. It concludes with international competitiveness, glossary, and supporting tables and figures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages94

Reading Time3 h 57 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

U.S. STEM Workforce Scale and Composition

U.S. STEM Workforce Growth and Economic Impact

K–12 STEM Education Performance and Challenges

Higher Education STEM Pipeline and International Competitiveness

Introduction

STEM Labor

U.S. STEM Workforce: Size, Demographic Characteristics, and Labor Market Outcomes

Geographic Distribution of STEM Workers

Growth of the STEM Workforce

Foreign-Born STEM Workers in the United States

Pathways to STEM Occupations

STEM Workers in the Economy

Path to STEM Employment

K–12 STEM Education

STEM Degrees

Persistence and Attrition in STEM Education and Training

Postsecondary Enrollment in STEM

Transition to Employment for Research Doctorate Recipients

International Comparisons and Global Competitiveness

Conclusion

Glossary

References

Notes

Acknowledgments and Citation

NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD Science & Engineering Indicators Labor Force STEM Talent: Education, Training, and Workforce NSB-2026-1 | February 12, 2026 The National Science Board (Board) is required under the National Science Foundation (NSF) Act, 42 U.S. C. § 1863 (j) (1) to prepare and transmit the biennial Science and Engineering Indicators (Indicators) report to the President and Congress every even-numbered year. The report is prepared by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within NSF under the guidance of the Board. It is subject to extensive review. Table Of Contents Executive Summary 5 U.S. STEM Workforce Scale and Composition 5 U.S. STEM Workforce Growth and Economic Impact 5 K–12 STEM Education Performance and Challenges 6 Higher Education STEM Pipeline and International Competitiveness 6 Introduction 7 STEM Labor 8 U.S. STEM Workforce: Size, Demographic Characteristics, and Labor Market Outcomes 8 Geographic Distribution of STEM Workers 16 Growth of the STEM Workforce 18 Foreign-Born STEM Workers in the United States 22 Pathways to STEM Occupations 24 STEM Workers in the Economy 29 Path to STEM Employment 35 K–12 STEM Education 35 STEM Degrees 42 Persistence and Attrition in STEM Education and Training 63 Postsecondary Enrollment in STEM 63 Transition to Employment for Research Doctorate Recipients 65 International Comparisons and Global Competitiveness 70 K–12 STEM Education 70 STEM Doctoral Degrees, Stay Rates, and Internationally Mobile Students 75 Conclusion 83 Glossary 84 Definitions 84 Key to Acronyms and Abbreviations 84 References 86 Notes 89 Acknowledgments and Citation 93 Acknowledgments 93 Contact Us 94 | Contact Us | 94 | | --- | --- | | NCSES | 94 | | List of Tables | | | TAL-1 Workforce, occupational groups, and examples | 8 | | TAL-2 Median earnings of full-time, year-round workers, by educational attainment and occupational group: 2023 | 15 | | TAL-3 Share of STEM workforce, by state: 2013–23 | 19 | | TAL-4 Workers, by region of birth and occupational group: 2023 | 22 | | TAL-5 Foreign-born workers, by selected region, country, or economy of origin and occupational group: 2023 | 23 | | TAL-6 Citizenship status of foreign-born STEM workers, by selected region, country, or economy of origin: 2023 | 24 | | TAL-7 Measures of population with a bachelor's or an advanced degree, by field of study: 2023 | 26 | | TAL-8 Workers in major industries, by occupational group: 2023 | 29 | | TAL-9 STEM workforce and the educational attainment, citizenship status, and country or economy of the foreign-born STEM workforce, by major industry: 2023 | 31 | | TAL-10 Average scores of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 on the main NAEP mathematics assessment, by race or ethnicity: 2024 | 38 | | TAL-11 S&E-related degrees awarded, by degree level and field: 2013 and 2023 | 47 | | TAL-12 Recent recipients of their first bachelor's degrees who reported attending community college, by timing of attendance and broad field area: 2023 | 60 | | TAL-13 Degrees awarded by HBCUs and TCCUs, by degree level and field area: 2023 | 61 | | TAL-14 Among fall 2009 ninth graders who started as a STEM major and completed a postsecondary degree by 2021, percentage who completed a STEM degree, by student characteristics | 63 | | TAL-15 S&E doctorate recipients with definite postgraduation commitments, by location of commitments, citizenship status, and field of doctorate: 2023 | 66 | | TAL-16 Average CIL and CT scores of U.S. students in grade 8, by race or ethnicity and school poverty level: 2023 | 74 | | TAL-17 Postgraduation plans of U.S. S&E doctorates on temporary resident visas to stay in the United States, by broad field of doctorate and country or economy of origin: 2012–23 | 78 | | TAL-18 U.S. stay rates for S&E doctorates holding temporary U.S. visas at doctoral graduation, by key characteristics: 2023 | 80 | | TAL-19 Internationally mo

FAQs

Who is required to prepare and transmit this Science & Engineering Indicators report, and how often?

The National Science Board is required to prepare and transmit the biennial Science and Engineering Indicators report to the President and Congress every even-numbered year. The report is prepared by NCSES within NSF under Board guidance.

What are the main topics covered in the STEM talent and labor force sections?

The report covers the STEM workforce’s size, demographics, labor market outcomes, geographic distribution, growth, and foreign-born STEM workers. It also examines pathways to STEM occupations and how STEM workers contribute to the economy.

How does the report address education-to-employment pathways in STEM?

It reviews K–12 STEM education performance and challenges, the higher-education STEM pipeline, STEM degrees, and persistence or attrition in STEM education and training. It further includes postsecondary enrollment and transition to employment for research doctorate recipients.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan