STEM Statistics

Only 33% of eighth graders are interested in STEM majors and only 6% of high school seniors will get a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field¹ 

Did you know that the AUVSI Foundation was created to engage K-college students in hands-on robotics activities to stimulate their interest in math and science as well as careers in unmanned systems?

The U.S. is ranked 27th (out of 29) for the rate of STEM bachelor’s degrees awarded in developed countries - 6% of U.S. undergraduates major in engineering compared with 12% in Europe, 20% in Singapore, and 40% in China

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While the number of American students graduating with engineering degrees is waning,  the AUVSI Foundation's student vehicle competitions are rapidly growing and have become hotbeds for recruiting STEM talent.

Undergraduate programs in science and engineering report the lowest retention rates among all academic disciplines. Less than half of undergraduates that declare an intent to major in a STEM field complete a degree in one of those subjects

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For some reason, many universities like to concentrate many of the most difficult and tedious coursework in freshman and sophomore level classes and save the hands-on, fun stuff for upperclassmen level courses. For many students who have the academic skill to complete those difficult courses, there isn't much motivation to do so. Enter the AUVSI Foundation and the concept that engineering should be fun. Student teams design and build autonomous vehicles from scratch and compete with them OUTSIDE THE LAB. Compare a freshman competing in an AUVSI Foundation competition with a senior who has never designed outside the lab and you may just be surprised at who is more qualified. 

Students with bachelor's degrees in engineering had the highest average starting salary offers compared with students with degrees in other subjects

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Combine an increased need for engineers with a diminishing pool of qualified recruits and it adds up to big money. Students with engineering degrees can look forward to multiple job opportunities upon graduation and companies who need engineers can expect to make larger investments to compete for talent. Working with the AUVSI Foundation gives students and industry the opportunity to interact and build relationship while students are still in school. 

^{1 - Office of Naval Research Stem to Stern
2 - Rising Above the Gathering Storm
3 - National Center for Education Statistics and National Science Board 
4 - National Association of Colleges and Employers}