Dive Brief:
- Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows explosive growth in the number of statistics grads since the 1990s, but experts still don’t think the increase will meet the demand in the economy in coming years.
- Colleges and universities are launching new programs and expanding statistics offerings, including Brigham Young University, as well as the Universities of Michigan and California-Irvine, both of which have new data science degree programs.
- According to eCampus News, statisticians don’t always get along with those in other fields who work on big data, and few even agree on what data science encompasses, but the ASA has called for collaboration to meet the national demand.
Dive Insight:
The rise in graduates with statistics degrees has far outpaced the growth in other in-demand STEM fields. NCES data shows a 300% increase in undergraduates getting such degrees since the 1990s. In the same period, however, eCampusNews reports the number of science and engineering graduates grew by just 72%.
Students make decisions about their degree programs based on the current economy, creating a bit of a lag between in-demand jobs and degree programs that are graduating enough students. With the rise of big data on so many lips these days, however, it seems like a safe bet for colleges and universities to grow such programs.