Students with Disabilities Pursuing STEM: High School Math Preparation to Postsecondary Degree
Abstract
This study examines variations between students with and without disabilities as they progress from high school mathematics to a STEM college major and STEM degree. Analyzing data from the Education Longitudinal Study with multinomial logistic regression found 10th graders with disabilities take less advanced high school math than students without disabilities, creating a disparity that persists through college. This places what might otherwise seem equivalent STEM college opportunity into an already unequal context. This disparity underlying the STEM college pipeline means enhancing STEM career access for individuals with disabilities ought to begin in high school or earlier.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Disability Education and Employment
Career Development and Diversity
School Choice and Performance
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Research in Higher Education
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 4
- Publication date
- 21 April 2026
- Language
- EN