In 1991, of the 486,000 associate degrees awarded, only 19,000 were in S& E fields and 45,000 were in engineering technology. (See appendix table 2-17.) Associate degrees in S& E have declined in absolute numbers from 1983 to 1991, reflecting the decrease in the pool of U.S. college-age students. In engineering technology, associate degree awards increased an average of 6 percent per year from 1975 to 1985; there has been a 2-percent annual decline since then, somewhat mirroring the decline in engineering bachelors degrees.
Women receive almost half of all associate degrees awarded in the natural sciences and mathematics/computer sciences, but only about 11 percent of the degrees in engineering and engineering technology. Associate degrees declined between 1983 and 1991 for males, but not for females or underrepresented minorities. (See text table 2-5 and appendix tables 2-17 and 2-18.) This group--which includes black, Hispanic, and Native American students--is approximately 18 percent of the undergraduate population, and received 15 percent of the associate degrees in S& E in 1991. This figure represents an improvement in participation rates in some fields of S& E from 1985 levels, mainly in mathematics/computer sciences and engineering. Junior colleges show a greater share of minority achievement (earned associate degrees) than 4-year colleges.
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