Making STEM Degrees More Affordable
Issues in Science and Technology
An award-winning journal devoted to the best ideas and writing on policy related to science, technology, and society.
The average cost of attending a four-year public university has more than doubled over the past 30 years, adjusting for inflation. As a result, students take on increasing—and, many experts argue, unsustainable—amounts of debt to cover rising tuition and fees. Students struggle to afford their degrees—if the prospect of graduating with significant debt doesn’t discourage them from pursuing higher education entirely. This situation is often worse in STEM degree programs, for which many schools charge higher tuition.
Recent federal policies have focused on forgiving student loans. But as Dominique J. Baker notes, “reducing student debt in the long term—especially for marginalized populations—requires making college more affordable in the first place.” As evidenced by ever-higher tuition and fees, current policy tools are falling short in this task.
“Building a more affordable and equitable path to higher education,” Baker argues, “will require policymakers, researchers, and leaders in higher education to broaden the national conversation around existing options, and particularly their impact on underrepresented degree seekers.”