Fall in Spanish STEM graduates ‘could slow scientific development’

The proportion of Spanish students graduating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has declined over the past decade, according to a new report, a trend that experts warn could “slow down the country’s scientific and technological development”.

Analysis from the CYD Foundation, which studies the developmental impact of Spain’s universities, found that just under 19 per cent of graduates in 2022 received degrees in STEM subjects, the fourth lowest proportion in the European Union. In comparison, the German figure was 36 per cent, while in France it was 29 per cent.

While the overall European Union proportion of STEM graduates increased by about 1 percentage point between 2013 and 2022, the foundation found, the Spanish figure dropped by more than 6 percentage points, a trend driven by a decline in “engineering, industry and construction” graduates.

Ángela Mediavilla, head of the technical office at the CYD Foundation, said the “low participation in [STEM] disciplines could have a negative impact on Spain’s economic competitiveness, and could slow down the country’s technological and scientific development”.

“We observe discrepancies between the fields of study chosen by students and the needs of the labour market,” Mediavilla said. To combat the trend, she added, “It would be desirable for future university students to have comprehensive information on job perspectives.”

One factor potentially contributing to the low proportion of STEM graduates could be the under-representation of women, the report suggests, noting that they made up about 36 per cent of 2022 graduates in STEM disciplines compared with the EU average of about 38 per cent.

While the proportion of women among engineering, industry and construction graduates in Spain, at 33 per cent, exceeded the EU average of 29 per cent, the figures in IT and mathematics fell below the EU average, at 17 per cent and 36 per cent respectively compared with 23 per cent and 53 per cent in the EU.

Lucía Cobreros and Teresa Raigada, economists at the Esade Centre for Economic Policy, told THE that the STEM graduate gender gap resulted from “educational and social factors that begin much earlier in the educational journey”, with children beginning to consider mathematics a “male domain” as early as age six.

“We need schools and families actively working to counteract gender stereotypes and present STEM as an equally viable and attractive path for all students,” the economists said. At the university level, they added, institutions could take steps including “introducing more female role models through mentorship programmes” and “strengthening ties with industry to showcase career opportunities for women in STEM”.

While STEM careers, particularly in IT, offer “remarkably low unemployment rates” as well as “superior earning potential”, Cobreros and Raigada said, the proportion of women among both IT graduates and those employed in IT is less than a fifth. “Women are missing out on these opportunities,” they said.

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com