STEM Grads Are Struggling
The modern university can trace its roots back to Ancient Greece. There, intellectual life was centered on philosophical schools. Institutions such as the Academy, founded by Plato, and the Lyceum, founded by Aristotle, became early models for educational establishments. These weren’t universities in the traditional sense, but they were spaces where learning, particularly philosophy and rhetoric, took place. Notably, the concept of “university” as we understand it today didn’t exist, but these institutions paved the way for the spread of knowledge.
The University of Bologna, founded in Italy in the twelfth century, is the oldest continually operating university in the world. It set the standard for university education, which focused on studying liberal arts—literature, history, philosophy, mathematics, and science. For millennia, the purpose of a university education was to teach students how to think critically. That is, to read a text and extrapolate meaning, to craft a solid argument, and to understand cultural evolution.
In the early twentieth century, there was a growing belief in America of the importance of providing students with practical, hands-on skills that would enable them to find stable employment and contribute to the rapidly industrializing American economy. Throughout the 20th century, career education evolved from its initial focus on technical skills to a broader emphasis on career readiness competencies. This evolution was influenced by several factors, including the changing nature of the American workforce, the shifting needs of employers, and the growing recognition that students needed a more comprehensive set of skills to succeed in the modern workplace.
Over the last twenty years, degrees in STEM have been widely celebrated as tickets to promising, lucrative careers. Students were sold on the idea of coming out of college and earning $150K+ out of the gate. Governments, educators, and policymakers advanced this narrative, touting the value of STEM education in driving economic growth and innovation. However, the journey from the classroom to the workplace is rarely as straightforward as these narratives suggest. For many recent STEM graduates, the transition into the workforce is accompanied by a complex web of challenges, from mismatched expectations to shifting industry demands. A recent article in the New York Times discusses the challenges that recent computer science grads are facing in finding entry-level jobs. The article also lays bare the bad news for these grads:
But now, the spread of A.I. programming tools, which can quickly generate thousands of lines of computer code — combined with layoffs at companies like Amazon, Intel, Meta, and Microsoft — is dimming prospects in a field that tech leaders promoted for years as a golden career ticket. The turnabout is derailing the employment dreams of many new computing grads and sending them scrambling for other work.
And that’s just for those seeking jobs in computer science!
Additionally, as more students graduate with STEM degrees, employers raise expectations for entry-level roles, a phenomenon known as credential inflation. What was once an entry-level job requiring only a bachelor’s degree may now demand a master’s, several internships, or even published research. This escalation leaves recent graduates caught in a paradox: jobs require experience, but experience is difficult to obtain without employment.
Study STEM if you want to, but don’t trick yourself into believing that a STEM degree will guarantee lucrative employment. What is drastically needed in the business is people who can think critically, listen with empathy, solve problems efficiently, and communicate with clarity. Hard skills alone will not carry you through your career. This trend that we are currently seeing proves that while STEM can be a good path, it is not the only or even best path for future jobs, regardless of opinions from parents, professors, or pundits.
A degree, STEM or otherwise, is not a golden ticket but a foundation. Careers are built not only on technical skills but also on resilience, adaptability, and the ability to connect with others. The graduates who will thrive are not just the ones who can write code or run calculations, but those who can bring perspective, curiosity, and humanity into their work. After all, the future of work is not just about solving equations or building systems; it is about solving problems for people.