Low grades in intro STEM courses may disproportionally deter minority students

Study of nearly 110,000 student records shows that a grade of C or lower in an introductory STEM class has a larger impact on the likelihood of underrepresented college students earning a STEM degree

Receiving a grade of C or lower in introductory science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes — courses like calculus or general chemistry — makes it less likely for underrepresented minority students to earn a degree in these subjects compared to white students with similar educational backgrounds. A team of researchers, led by Penn State scientists, examined records of 109,070 students from six large, public, research-intensive universities between 2005 and 2018, showing that a low grade in even one of these courses disproportionately impacted underrepresented minority students. The study suggests that new approaches are needed to address the disparity in outcomes for underrepresented STEM students, including a critical examination of institutional structures and policies that may inhibit equity.

“Previous research has established an association between low grades in introductory STEM courses and a decreased probability of obtaining a STEM degree,” said Nathanial Brown, professor of mathematics at Penn State and an author of the paper. “We provide evidence of underrepresented STEM students experiencing greater negative impacts on graduating from low intro course grades than their white, male peers, even after controlling for academic preparation in high school and intent to study STEM. Introductory STEM courses are institutional structures that our research demonstrates may exacerbate disparities in STEM education and, as such, equity issues must be central in efforts to redesign and rebuild them.”

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