College location and labor market outcomes for STEM graduates in the US

Broadening participation in STEM education, improving STEM graduate employability, and retaining a labor force with high STEM qualifications has become increasingly important in both higher education and regional development in the United States. However, few studies have examined the labor market experiences of STEM graduates. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, this study develops a framework that encompasses individual attributes, university institutional characteristics, and labor market factors to explore labor market outcomes for US STEM graduates. Based on analyses of multiple cohorts of STEM-educated college graduates in the US from 2000 to 2010, the study finds that there is a significant relationship between college location, STEM graduates’ job earnings, and the degree to which these graduates are underemployed or unemployed. We argue not only that college locations provide potential employment locations, but also that the interaction between students, universities and the regional context will last through students’ college years and factor into employment opportunities and levels of salary. Research and practice in higher education and regional development should be drawn on to coordinate efforts to increase graduate employability and promote collaboration between universities and industries.