Hispanics Are Key to Closing the Gap in the STEM Workforce

Ethnic and racial representation within science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields is unbalanced, and Hispanic and Latino/a people experience some of the most noticeable disparities. This lack of diversity is driven in large part by inequities in educational support and opportunities.

A diverse workforce blends experiences, perspectives, and problem-solving strategies from many workers, which leads to more innovative and creative solutions that can help better the lives of people from all backgrounds. Welcoming more Hispanic and Latino/a workers in STEM fields can benefit communities around the world.

When it comes to improving diversity and inclusion in STEM, schools and STEM employers should be doing much more to help young Hispanics and Latino/as find and capitalize on opportunities.

According to a Pew Research Center report from April 2021, Hispanic people make up 17% of the total workforce, but only 8% of workers in the STEM field. Comparatively, white workers make up 63% of the overall workforce and 67% of STEM workers. Furthermore, the average Hispanic STEM worker makes only 83% of the average white worker’s salary. These inequities demonstrate how STEM has routinely favored white workers while disfavoring Hispanic individuals.

While Hispanic representation in STEM has grown one percentage point since 2018, more needs to be done by higher education institutions and hiring managers to help fix this underrepresentation, but that will take time. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), STEM jobs are the hardest to fill.

Historically, Hispanic and Latino/a students have been underserved in STEM fields due to divergences in the education system. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2021, Hispanics earned 15% of all bachelor’s degrees in the U.S., but only 12% of STEM degrees. At the master’s level, they earned 11% of degrees overall, but only 9% of STEM degrees.

According to a 2020 Student Research Foundation (SRF) report, despite having similar STEM interests and aspirations as their non-Hispanic white and Asian peers, Hispanic high school students were less likely to have internet access and digital preparation. Due to this systemic lack of support, they also enrolled in fewer STEM classes, received lower grades, had lower confidence levels, and planned to attend community college (as opposed to a four-year school) at higher rates.

The numbers for Hispanic women in STEM look even worse. The SRF report found that Hispanic women represented 7% of the total workforce, but just 2% of STEM workers in 2018. Despite earning higher average grades than men, Hispanic women experienced the lowest levels of STEM confidence, and their interests and aspirations in STEM were lower than those of Hispanic men.

Among the many reasons for these divisions, differences in preparedness and socioeconomic status play a significant role. Hispanic students were more likely than their peers to attend under-resourced schools, come from lower-income households, and experience financial restrictions to higher education. Xenophobic and racist messaging and a lack of Hispanic visibility in STEM careers also dissuade young Hispanic and Latino/a students — especially women — from pursuing the discipline.

Across the country, colleges and universities — particularly Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) — encourage and support Hispanic and Latino/a students in their pursuit of STEM careers in various ways.

In 2018, the National Science Foundation provided a $10 million grant to six California State University campuses to help them focus on retaining and graduating more Hispanic and Latino/a students in STEM disciplines.

Some schools have developed preparatory programs to help young learners take the appropriate steps early on, like Maryville University’s Center for Access and Achievement (CA²). According to the center’s executive director, Steve Coxon, CA² provides a free, Spanish-translated curriculum and online STEM courses to schools throughout the St. Louis region that educate students from historically excluded groups.

“We have created a preschool-to-profession pipeline in STEM. We work with students’ individual needs through our life coaching model and personalized learning environment,” said Coxon, who is also an associate professor of the online education program at Maryville. “For example, students majoring in cybersecurity provide monitoring for dozens of local schools, nonprofits, and small businesses in our Cyber Fusion Center under the guidance of our faculty — who also have major real-world cybersecurity experience.”

Many of the best colleges for Hispanic and Latino/a students offer specialized assistance for learners in underrepresented fields. For example, San Diego State University’s career services department hosts diversity initiatives and provides career development and preparation programs specifically for STEM careers.

The following colleges received grants to address the field’s inequities by providing access to resources, experiences, and opportunities for Hispanic and Latino/a learners.

Colleges and universities can use various methods to help increase the number of Hispanic and Latino/a students pursuing careers in STEM. The following are possible initiatives that can take place at the grassroots level, as well as within colleges and universities, individual classrooms, and career services departments.

Grassroots efforts:

In the classroom:

At the institutional level:

Career services:

To make a positive impact on the STEM field and workforce, colleges and universities need to begin in their backyard. By developing support programs and pathways within their communities, institutions can help Hispanic and Latino/a students overcome systemic barriers and make careers in STEM more accessible.