Table 1 Students’ rankings of most- and least-preferred stem career choices
| Â | Most-preferred career paths | Least-preferred career paths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Career type | Percent selecting (%) | Career type | Percent selecting (%) |
1 | Doctorate-Level Health Care Careers | 29.2 | Careers in Welding, Soldering, or Machine Operation | 16.2 |
2 | Non-Doctorate-Level Health Care Careers | 18.3 | Doctorate-Level Health Care Careers | 12.5 |
3 | Engineer | 11.2 | Computer Programmer, Software Developer, or Computer Scientist | 10.6 |
4 | Computer Programmer, Software Developer, or Computer Scientist | 8.8 | Engineer | 8.6 |
5 | Careers in Welding, Soldering, or Machine Operation | 8.8 | Electrician | 8.6 |
6 | Careers in Agriculture or Natural Resources Management | 4.7 | Dietitian or Nutritionist | 8.4 |
7 | Electrician | 3.9 | Non-Doctorate-Level Health Care Careers | 6.3 |
8 | Research Scientist | 2.6 | Careers in Data Science | 6.0 |
9 | Careers in Public Health | 2.6 | Careers in Computer-Aided Design | 4.8 |
10 | Careers in Environmental Conservation | 2.2 | Careers in Agriculture or Natural Resources Management | 3.5 |
11 | Careers in Manufacturing | 1.9 | Research Scientist | 3.5 |
12 | Careers in Biotechnology or Pharmaceuticals | 1.9 | Careers in Manufacturing | 3.2 |
13 | Careers in Computer-Aided Design | 1.9 | Careers in Public Health | 3.2 |
14 | Dietitian or Nutritionist | 1.5 | Careers in Environmental Conservation | 2.8 |
15 | Careers in Data Science | 0.4 | Careers in Biotechnology or Pharmaceuticals | 1.7 |