National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
What the Data Show about Students with
Disabilities in STEM
Joan Burrelli
Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering
October 15, 2007
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
www.nsf.gov/statistics
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
About 24 million people, or 16% of the U.S. working age population,
have a disability
Population of the United States ages 25 to 64, by disability status and type of disability: 2002
Number (in millions)
Percent
30
18
16
25
14
Number
Percent
20
12
10
15
8
10
6
4
5
2
0
0
With a
disability
Difficulty
seeing
Difficulty
hearing
Difficulty with
Difficulty
speech
walking/using
stairs
Learning
disability
NOTES: “With a disability” includes other disabilities not shown separately. Respondents could report more than one disability.100
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2002.
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Among secondary students ages 14-21, learning disabilities are
the most prevalent disability.
Population ages 14 to 21 that are served under IDEA Part B, by type of disability: 1996-2005
5
80
4
60
P e rc e n t
P e rc e n t
100
Specific learning disabilities
3
Multiple disabilities
2
40
Other disabilities
Hearing impairments
1
20
Orthopedic impairments
Visual impairments
0
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
0
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
NOTE: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B provides federal assistance for education of children ages 3
through 21. Other disabilities include autism, traumatic brain injury, developmental delay, speech and language impairment, mental
101
retardation, emotional disturbance, and other health impairment.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
2005
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Undergraduate students with disabilities choose S&E majors at
about the same rate as students without disabilities
Undergraduate students, by major and disability status: 2004
Natural sciences and
engineering
18
18
9
9
Social/behavioral sciences
13
14
Humanities
No disability
16
16
Health
With disability
9
8
Education
20
19
Business
15
17
Other nonS&E
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid
Study: 2004
102
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
More than half of postsecondary students with disabilities are in
public 2-year schools
Postsecondary students with disabilities, by type of institution: 1966-97 or
1997-98
Private 4-year
Public 4-year
Private 2-year
All students
Public 2-year
Students with disabilities
10,000 or more students
3,000 to 9,999 students
Less than 3000 students
0
10
20
30
Percent
40
50
60
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999. An Institutional Perspective on
Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education, NCES 1999-046.
103
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Students with disabilities are less likely than those without to
complete a bachelor’s degree
Students who began at 4-year colleges or universities in 1995, by disability status and persistence in 2001
100
80
Percent
No disability
Any disability
60
40
20
0
Attained bachelor's
Attained
associate's
Attained certificate Never attained, still Never attained, left
enrolled
without return
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Beginning Postsecondary Students
Longitudinal Study.
104
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Bachelor’s graduates with and without disabilities enroll in and
complete graduate school at about the same rate
1993 bachelor’s graduates, by disability status and graduate enrollment and attainment by 2003
100
No disability
80
With disability
Percent
67
70
60
40
26
24
20
2
6
1
5
0
Attained graduate
degree, currently
enrolled
Attained graduate
degree, not enrolled
No graduate
attainment, currently
enrolled
No graduate
attainment, not
enrolled
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal
Study.
105
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Graduate students with disabilities are less likely than those
without to major in natural sciences and engineering
Graduate students, by majors and by disability status: 2004
Natural sciences and
engineering
13
9
6
Social/behavioral sci
9
8
Humanities
No disability
7
15
Health
With disability
11
26
Education
33
18
Business
14
14
Other nonS&E
18
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid
Study: 2004
106
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Why we don’t have data on bachelor’s and master’s
degrees by disability status
Schools differ in how they count students with disabilities.
Counts can be based on services or accommodations
provided, verification of disabilities, self-report to the disability
support services office, or external/proxy report to the disability
support services office.
Schools differ in availability of records:
• Half of institutions maintain paper records on students with
disabilities in the disability support services office
• Only 13% of institutions include data on students with
disabilities in the general student record system from which
degree data are reported to the Department of Education.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999. An Institutional Perspective on
Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education, NCES 1999-046.
107
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Science and engineering doctorate recipients, by disability status: 1997–2005
Disability status
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
All S&E
doctorate
recipients
27,229
27,273
25,931
25,966
25,496
24,582
25,274
26,272
27,974
No disability
26,909
26,951
25,594
25,638
25,156
24,254
24,961
25,986
27,667
With disability
320
322
337
328
340
328
313
286
307
Blind/visually
impaired
39
55
54
49
39
26
28
22
24
Deaf/hard of
hearing
45
36
40
38
48
42
48
33
40
Learning
disabilities
na
na
na
na
83
78
74
99
89
Physical/
orthopedic
disability
104
92
96
94
99
121
95
88
86
Vocal/speech
disability
7
11
6
6
8
8
11
11
14
Other or more
than one
98
96
110
110
58
48
52
28
49
Unspecified
27
32
31
31
5
5
5
5
5
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 1997–2005.
108
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Percentage with disabilities, by type of disability
Population 25 to 64
STEM doctorate recipients
Total
100%
100%
No disabilities
83.7
98.9
With any disability
16.3
1.1
Seeing
2.5
0.1
Hearing
2.3
0.1
Speech
0.9
0.1
Mobility
8.0
0.3
Learning
1.4
0.3
NOTES: Any disability includes other disabilities not shown separately. Respondents could report more than one disability.
SOURCES: Population—U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2002; STEM doctorate
recipients, National Science Foundation, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2005.
109
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Estimates of disability
Percent with disabilities
Number with disabilities
Population 15-24
11%
4,128,000
Students 6-17
12%
5,708,900
STEM undergraduates
11%
580,000
STEM graduate students
7%
30,000
STEM doctorate recipients
1%
307
Population 25-64
16%
24,350,000
US workforce 21-64
10%
14,313,000
STEM workforce
5%
242,700
STEM doctoral faculty
8%
13,500
SOURCES: Population and U.S. workforce—U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2002;
Students 6-17—U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 2005; Undergraduate and
graduate students—U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary
Student Aid Study, 2004; STEM doctorate recipients, NSF/SRS, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2005, Workforce and
doctoral faculty—National Science Foundation, SESTAT data system, and Survey of Doctorate Recipients.
110
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
EXTRA INFORMATION
111
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Students with disabilities age 14 to 21 exiting special
education, by exit reason: 2005
Percent
100
80
60
54
40
28
16
20
1
1
Reached
maximum age
Died
0
Graduated with
diploma
Received a
certificate
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, www.ideadata.org
Dropped out
112
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Postsecondary students with disabilities, by type of
institution: 1996-97 or 1997-98
Number
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
Public 2-year
Private 2year
Public 4-year
Private 4year
Less than
3000
students
3,000 to
9,999
students
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999. An Institutional Perspective on
Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education, NCES 1999-046.
10,000 or
more
students
113
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Population ages 14 to 21 that are served under IDEA Part B,
by type of disability: 1996-2005
Number (in millions)
3
All disabilities
2
Specific learning disabilities
Other
Multiple disabilities
Hearing impairments
Orthopedic impairments
1
0
1996
Visual impairments
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
NOTE: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B provides federal assistance for education of children ages 3
through 21. Other disabilities include autism, traumatic brain injury, developmental delay, speech and language impairment, mental
retardation, emotional disturbance, and other health impairment.
114
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, www.ideadata.org
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Employed scientists and engineers with disabilities, by type
of disability: 2003
Number
300
250
243
200
150
88
100
78
40
50
21
16
0
S&E total
Hearing
Lifing
Seeing
Walking
Multiple
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System
(SESTAT): 2003
115
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Employed scientists and engineers with disabilities, by type
of disability: 2003
Percent
100
80
60
40
20
5.0
4.7
5.4
4.9
6.2
5.0
S&E total
Computer and
math sciences
Life sciences
Physical
sciences
Social and
behavioral
sciences
Engineering
0
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System
(SESTAT): 2003
116
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Employed scientists and engineers with disabilities, by
occupation: 2003
Number (in thousands)
300
250
243
200
150
95
100
78
50
24
31
16
0
S&E total
Computer and
math sciences
Life sciences
Physical
sciences
Social and
behavioral
sciences
Engineering
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System
(SESTAT): 2003
117
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Doctoral science and engineering faculty with disabilities, by
type of disability: 2003
Number
15,000
13,500
12,000
9,000
6,000
4,700
4,300
2,400
3,000
1,300
900
0
S&E total
Hearing
Lifing
Seeing
Walking
NOTE: Faculty include full, associate, and assistant professors.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients: 2003
Multiple
118
National Science Foundation
Division of Science Resources Statistics
Doctoral science and engineering faculty with disabilities,
by occupation: 2003
Percent
100
80
60
40
20
8.3
7.7
7.1
7.9
10.1
S&E total
Computer and
math sciences
Life sciences
Physical
sciences
Social and
behavioral
sciences
7.2
0
Engineering
NOTE: Doctoral faculty include full, associate, and assistant professors.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients: 2003
119