The term STEM is the abbreviation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This is a type of degree that you can do in one of these fields or sub-fields of these four majors. It joins different major educational disciplines into one. Starting from science, which leads to research, and experimentation, that create technology, and advancements in engineering, while all of this is only possible if mathematics is correct. STEM is a type of degree that is very popular among those who are looking forward to joining one of these fields. Each field and subfield of these four majors provides multiple high-paying career choices for the graduates.

As you may know that STEM is one of the popular types of degrees alongside STEAM and STREAM. The focus of these degrees is to produce world-class researchers, scientists, and workers who are completely aware of their field of study and can apply their knowledge and skills for the betterment of humanity or human society. If you are looking forward to obtaining a STEM degree but lack basic information, then this article is for you as it contains all the information you need to make an informed decision about getting a STEM degree.

What is a STEM Degree?

The basic definition of a STEM degree is that “these are specific college educational programs in the field of science technology, engineering, and mathematics.”. Apart from these four fields, the study of the related fields and subfields are also a part of STEM education. For example, not only biology, but sub-fields of biology, such as medical, botany, and zoology are also STEM degrees. These are the degrees that provide some of the highest-paying career choices. For example, after completing a STEM degree in the biology field, you will be able to pursue your career as a pharmacist, or physician if you want.

It opens doors to multiple career opportunities in your field. For example, if you took engineering, you can go into any subfields of engineering, such as mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, and other fields related to engineering. The same goes for the other two parts of STEM, which are technology and mathematics. You can pursue a career in both of these fields specifically and their subfields as well. Many universities offer these programs, which means there are a lot of chances for those who want to get admission into these programs. Below is a list of some of the most popular universities and colleges that offer STEM degrees.

Top Universities for STEM Degree:

There are a lot of universities that offer STEM courses and students from across the United States and other parts of the world can join these universities for STEM degrees. These are the top degrees because they train and educate their students in the best way possible. Most of these universities have very high-tech labs, science equipment, engineering literature, and research in mathematics. You will be learning from some of the best minds in the world who have already contributed a lot to scientific research in STEM-relevant fields. Below is a list of the top universities in the United States for STEM degrees.

1. California Institute of Technology: California Institute of Technology is a private university situated in Pasadena, California. It is one of the most prestigious universities in the world in the field of STEM. There are a lot of great minds who graduated from this university. They offer STEM degrees in multiple fields and subfields. You should check their website for further information.
2. Harvard University: Harvard University is situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard is a private Ivy League university that can cost a lot of money and hard work to get in but once you get admission, you will be learning from the best in the world. It has multiple schools and offers a lot of disciplines including STEM degrees.
3. Stanford University: Stanford University, is also one of the best STEM-related universities. It has multiple science labs and research facilities. Anyone interested in getting into some of the top STEM universities should also try getting admission here as well.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT or Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the most renowned universities in the world situated in Massachusetts. It is one of the best universities as it offers multiple research and experimentation options. There are a lot of laboratories, science equipment, and research resources available for those who are looking forward to making an impact in STEM fields. Their acceptance rate is also better than most of the other universities. You can join MIT for your STEM degree as it is one of the best options that you have.
5. University of California, Berkeley: The University of California is situated in Berkeley, California. It is also one of the best universities in the fields of STEM as it has multiple labs and resources that students can use. Also, the faculty here comprises some of the most reputed and respected researchers from across the world.

Other popular universities include Columbia University, Arizona State University, University of Dayton, New York University, University of South Florida. All of these offer STEM degrees and are considered some of the most reputed universities in the world. If you cannot get admission into any of these, there are a lot of other options as well, and you can join other universities and colleges related to your field.

Popular Majors in STEM:

If you are considering a STEM degree but are not aware of the options in it, then the list below will help you. It is a list of some of the top majors in the field of STEM. Each of these majors will let you start a new career in the field of your choice. Most of the people who do STEM degrees, have one of these fields in mind. Read their description so that you can decide better about your choice of career.

1. Astrophysics: If you want to become an astronaut, or a space researcher, or an astrophysicist, it is the major that you should take. It requires studying mathematics, physics, and engineering.
2. Biology: Biology is another very popular choice among those who take STEM degrees. Biology is a vast major and has multiple smaller fields that you can take for further studies or research.
3. Biomedical Technology: If you are more interested in the medical field, or healthcare field, it is the major that you should take. It requires studying topics related to medicine and healthcare. It is for those who want to make a career in the healthcare industry.
4. Chemistry: One of the major branches of science, and a very popular choice among STEM students. Chemistry is a major for those who are interested in knowing the basic structure of atoms and knowing about chemicals. There are multiple subfields, such as organic and inorganic chemistry, chemical engineering, and others.
5. Computer Science: Computer Science is a major from the technology and engineering part of STEM. Currently, it is one of the most popular majors in the field of computers. You can become an IT expert, a programmer, a coder, tester, designer, and network engineer after this degree.
6. Mathematics: Mathematics is also one of the major branches of science. It is used in every field, even medical, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Mathematics is a great field of study who are interested in solving complex mathematical equations and a career in mathematical research.
7. Nuclear Physics: Nuclear Physics is a field of physics that deals with the structure of the nucleus, nuclear reactions, building, and utilizing nuclear technology for peaceful use, and related subjects. You will be studying a lot of subjects such as chemistry, particle physics, and much other such mathematics. There are a lot of job opportunities for those who have the right type of degrees.
8. Pharmacology: Pharmacology is related to biology, chemistry, and medical fields. In this major, you will study multiple subjects such as biology, chemistry, and how these two fields can be used to make human life better. After this degree, you will become a pharmacist. You can get jobs in pharmacies, hospitals, and medicine companies.
9. Physics: Physics is also one of the science majors that you can do in STEM. Physics is a branch of science and has multiple sub-branches. If you take physics in general as a major, you will have to study all of these fields. But you can also take one specific sub-branch of physics as a major as well. For example, particle physics, nuclear physics.
10. Zoology: Zoology is a major of biological sciences. In this major, you will be studying different animals in the world. This is also one of the popular STEM majors that you can take for your Master’s studies.

Apart from these, there are dozens of other majors that you can take in a STEM degree. Each of those majors is also good and can help you get into the type of career that you want. The examples above are just to provide you with a hint about what type of majors there are. So that you can make a better and informed decision about a STEM degree.

Why Study in a STEM Degree Program? Benefits of STEM:

If you are wondering why you should study in a STEM program instead of normal degree programs, then you should know it has several advantages over the normal degree programs. The first advantage is that it prepares you for a diverse type of work. It will not only make you focus on just one subject, but it will also inform you about the several other subjects that are related to that major.

Another important benefit of the STEM degree is that these degrees are very highly accredited and respected. That means you will have better chances of employment. There are a lot of employers who are aware of the STEM degrees, and they prefer hiring people with specific STEM degrees related to their business. This increases the chances of your employability. Not only that, but it can also help you get a better salary and better working conditions.

Another benefit is that it will introduce you to the world of scientific research. So, if you do not want to get a job but want to continue research in your field, you can do that. STEM degrees are based on scientific research principles, which means you will learn the proper ways to conduct scientific studies or research. So, it creates a way for you to become a researcher or a scientist in one of the fields of STEM.

Based on these benefits of STEM degrees, we can answer the question of why you should take STEM instead of normal degree programs. Normal degree programs can also provide such benefits but that is a rare sight, while in STEM majors, it is very common. For these reasons, you should take STEM over other degree programs.

STEM vs STEAM, and STREAM:

STEM is not the only study program; multiple other study programs rival the STEM educational system. Examples of these programs are STEAM and STREAM. Below are the basic details about these two programs and how they are different from STEM and what advantages STEM has over these programs.

1.   STEM:

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is one of the oldest educational systems. It covers the subjects related to these four major areas of education. It leaves arts, and many other educational programs out.

2.   STEAM:

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. According to the ideology of STEAM, we can become better at science, technology, and engineering if we follow the artistic paths. It keeps the focus on the four majors but also includes the artistic part. It is a new educational degree program that is not very popular.

3.   STREAM:

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It is also similar to STEM but it has benefits in terms of promoting critical thinking and enhancing problem-solving skills. According to the philosophy of STREAM, you can make better decisions using the reading methods.

Are STEM Degrees Mainstream/Popular?

Yes, STEM is slowly becoming mainstream as many universities are adapting to this method of education. The reason behind this increase in popularity is that these degrees promote the scientific skill set, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in the students. These skills are not only useful in research and studying but also play an important role in becoming a very productive worker. So, we can say that STEM degrees prepare you for not only your field of study but also for a professional lifestyle. For these reasons, STEM degrees are becoming popular. But they may not be popular all over the US, as only a few universities and colleges offer STEM degrees. States such as California have the highest number of STEM degree holders.

How much does a STEM degree cost?

Most of the STEM degrees cost between $60,000 to $90,000 but if you are doing a STEM degree in the field of engineering. It might cost you a lot more. The reason for this much cost of the degree is that these degrees require a lot of research. Some degrees that are short or can be completed within two years, may cost less, while some STEM degrees that can take more than two years to complete may cost more. There is no specific information as each university has a different fee structure. You can get the best information related to the fee structure from the university website. Just search the university you want, and select your program. It will show you how much your degree will cost. You can also take it to the university admin office related to the fee structure question.

STEM Scholarships and Financial Aid Options:

Most universities that offer STEM degrees, also offer multiple scholarships that you can apply for. Apart from scholarships, there are also other financial aid options. But in most cases, you have to perform exceptionally in your study program to become eligible for these study programs. But most of these programs are specific to your university or college. So, you should check the website of your college or university to know more about these financial aid programs.

Jobs After STEM Degree:

You can get a job in your related field after completing your STEM degree. STEM degrees prepare students for the professional fields so that when they join the workforce, they need minimal training to start working. The job will be related to your major, for example, if your major was biomedical or healthcare, you will get a job in the healthcare field. But if your major was in mechanical engineering, you will get the job of a mechanical engineer. For these reasons, you should select your major with great consideration.

Women in the field of STEM:

There are also a lot of women in the field of STEM who have done great work. Below is a list of some of these remarkable women from different STEM fields.

• Marie Curie: One of the pioneering scientists in the research of radioactivity. She won a Nobel Prize for her contribution to understanding nuclear decay and radioactivity.
• Lisa Meitner: She is known for discovering an element, protactinium. She was also one of the pioneering scientists who discovered the nuclear fission process.
• Rosalind Franklin: She was an English Chemist and X-ray crystallographer. She helped us understand DNA, RNA, and the molecular structure of these subcellular particles.
• Hiba Rahmani: She is currently working for NASA and has worked on multiple engineering projects of NASA including NASA’s probes for Moon, and Mars. She is known as one of the most brilliant avionics engineers in the world.

The presence of these women in the STEM field is a testament that it is also a field for women. So, if you are a female and you want to get a STEM degree but you are not sure if this field is suitable for women or not, you should know that this is suitable for people of any gender and not just men.

How To Get Admission in STEM Degrees?

The basic admission requirements for STEM degrees are similar to normal degrees. You must have passed your high school; you must have a good GPA in previous classes. You must also have passed certain tests such as the SATs and GRE. You will apply for your specific programs. Most of these applications are online and you can apply from your home. Make sure that you provide all the required information.

Apart from providing the required information, you will also have to write a purpose letter and may have to submit some letters of recommendation. Once you have submitted everything, you will have to wait for the completion of the selection process. If you get admission into any of the universities or colleges where you applied, you should join that. But if you fail to get into any of the programs you choose, you may have to reconsider your selection. Make sure your selection is according to your previous academic record.

Conclusion – Are STEM Degrees Worth Spending Your Time and Money?

There is no short answer to this question, as you will have to go through the details to understand. STEM is a degree program that is related to science technology engineering and mathematics. It prepares you for the research, and jobs in one of those fields. It depends on what major you select, but after you complete your studies, you will get a job in that field. Most of the people who take STEM degrees, prefer doing engineering as it is a vast field. In engineering mechanical, chemical, and civil are some of the most popular choices.

Studying in a STEM degree program teaches you multiple skills such as critical thinking, scientific method of research, analyzing the problem, and solving it. These are the skills that you will need while you are working in any field. So, we can say that a STEM degree in reality prepares you for your future job and professional life. Based on these arguments, we can say that yes, it is worth spending your money and time.