U.S. News & World Report

A recent report by the Council of Independent Colleges says small and midsized colleges are just as capable at educating and supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students as larger public research institutions. The report says a significant percentage of STEM graduates from smaller, private colleges elect to continue their education and earn a master's or doctoral degree, and students at such institutions are more likely to complete their degrees in a timely fashion. About 300,000 students graduate from U.S. colleges with bachelor's or associate's degrees in STEM fields every year, according to a 2012 report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. However, only 40 percent of students who intend to major in a STEM field currently complete the degree program. The report found that about 1 million additional STEM professionals than the U.S. will generate at the current rate are needed in the next 10 years if the nation is to sustain its science and technology leadership. To read further, please visit http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/careers/private-colleges-produce-prepared-stem-graduates_13812.aspx#.U11Cq8c2SnA.