The term “S&E” above stands for Science and Engineering. Today, I want to talk about why, if it aligns with their aptitude, students should seriously consider majoring in Science or Engineering—and why, especially for Asian female students, the acceptance rate tends to be relatively higher.

Most of the data I’ll be using today comes from two major reports. The first is published by the National Science Board. This report is a highly influential document used by the U.S. Congress and the President in shaping national science and engineering policy, and it's published every two years.

The second is from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), which also provides important statistical insights.

Let’s start by looking at R&D (Research & Development) investments by country. This is directly linked to Science and Engineering. The United States has long maintained the top position in R&D investment, and even now, private companies contribute over 80% of the total investment. This is largely sustained by the astronomical spending of Big Tech corporations.

Although China was once far behind, its R&D spending has been growing at an exponential rate, quickly narrowing the gap with the United States. Korea, indicated in purple on the graph, is also performing quite well relative to its population size.

Looking at the 2021 data, we can clearly see how large this gap remains.

Next is the number of Science and Engineering research papers published by country. About 50% of all such papers are published by just six countries. The U.S. held the lead for a long time, but as of 2016, it was surpassed by China. From an American perspective, this shift is quite unsettling.

We also see a similar trend in global patent applications. The U.S. maintained the number one position for many years, but now faces intense competition from China. Korea, again, shows solid results when adjusted for population.

In terms of the number of doctorate degrees awarded in Science and Engineering, the U.S. still holds first place, but China is rising rapidly. So across research papers, patents, and doctoral degrees, China is becoming a real threat. Because of this, the U.S. has no intention of decreasing its R&D investments—in fact, it’s expected to increase them to maintain technological supremacy.

Now, if we look at Venture Capital (VC) investments, the U.S. absorbs $248 billion, accounting for 46% of the world's VC funding. This is down from 60–70% in previous years, but still a dominant share. While China once surged rapidly, it's now showing signs of slowing slightly.

In absolute terms, the total VC investment in 2022 was five times higher than in 2013. Much of this capital is directed specifically toward the Science and Engineering sectors. The U.S. and China are both major magnets for global funding, and within these nations, S&E fields are the central focus.

Because the U.S. perceives an imminent threat of being overtaken by China in Science and Engineering, it's not only avoiding cuts but is likely to increase its funding moving forward.

This has led to a widening wage gap between STEM-related and non-STEM-related careers.

As of 2021, the median annual income for STEM majors was around $69,000, compared to $49,000 for non-STEM majors—a 39% difference. On average, STEM workers earn at least $4,700 more per year.

Notably, Asian workers in STEM fields tend to earn more than workers from other racial groups.

By 2024, this wage gap has become even more significant. The average salary for STEM-related careers now exceeds $108,330—breaking into six figures. In contrast, the average for non-STEM careers is $58,720. That’s an 84% wage gap.

As you move up the income ladder, STEM fields increasingly dominate the high-paying brackets.

To illustrate an even more extreme case, consider the field of AI. It’s currently attracting astronomical investment. At Meta, for instance, top AI researchers are reportedly earning $300 million over four years—an amount unimaginable in most professions. The signing bonus for a researcher transitioning to OpenAI has been cited at $100 million—over 130 billion Korean won.

A senior software engineer at Meta earns an average of $480K annually—2 to 4 times more than general tech staff.

These figures show that wage inequality grows the further down the corporate ladder you go, especially for roles not exposed to AI. Conversely, in positions with high AI exposure, wage disparities tend to level out.

The takeaway from this graph: careers more involved with AI see relatively stable earnings, while those with little AI relevance suffer from larger pay disparities.

In this global environment, where financial and intellectual capital is flowing heavily into the U.S. and China—and particularly into Science and Engineering fields—our students would be wise to consider riding this wave if their interests and strengths align.

Just like one needs to enter the ocean to catch a big wave, students should explore majors in Science or Engineering when choosing their academic paths. Especially for Asian male students, admissions competition is intense—but for female students, the acceptance structure is comparatively more favorable. This is an important factor to keep in mind.

After a decline during the pandemic, the number of international students earning Science and Engineering degrees in the U.S. is rapidly recovering.

Math education achievement data in the U.S. also shows that average math skills have declined post-pandemic. For Korean students, who are traditionally strong in math and science, this can be an opportunity.

However, the gender breakdown of engineering degrees shows a wide gap: only 24.2% are awarded to women, while 75.8% go to men. Similarly, only 16.2% of patent applicants are female.

As we saw earlier, when it comes to engineering degrees, women represent just 24.2%—a stark contrast to the 75.8% for men. The same trend applies to patents: only 16.2% of patent filings are by women.

This gender imbalance in degrees is critical from a college admissions standpoint. The yellow bar in the graph shows that women tend to choose majors like Psychology and Biological/Biomedical Sciences.

Meanwhile, majors such as Engineering and Computer/Information Sciences—found lower on the graph—have fewer female applicants.

That means female students interested in these fields may face less competition and enjoy higher acceptance rates, making these strategic options worth considering.

Which engineering majors in the U.S. grant the most degrees? At the top is Mechanical Engineering, followed closely by Computer Science–related majors. A high number of graduates indicates a large applicant pool, but also a larger number of admission slots. So the higher the major is on the list, the more accessible it tends to be.

Now, if we look at the engineering majors most frequently chosen by women, Environmental Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are at the top. But if a female student wants to increase her odds, she might benefit from selecting a lower-ranked major—where fewer women apply—if it matches her aptitude. This could give her a competitive edge.

You can also look up which schools produce the most engineering bachelor’s degrees. The higher a school is on this list, the more degrees it confers—meaning more admission spots are likely available. Schools like Georgia Tech, Purdue, Texas A&M, and UIUC are good examples.

Race-wise, engineering graduates in the U.S. are 58% White, 15.6% Asian, and 13.6% Hispanic. These figures also include transfer students, so the true freshman admission odds may be even lower than they appear.

Some schools are more favorable toward Asian students—such as UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, UIUC, and UC San Diego. If you’re selecting schools based on fit, aiming for schools high on this list could improve your chances of admission.

For instance, if you're interested in Biomedical Engineering, it’s strategic to apply to schools that produce many graduates in that field—meaning their quota is likely larger.

Let’s now refer to a report from the Harvard Kennedy School.

It analyzed admissions differences between White and Asian applicants under similar academic conditions. Unlike many studies, this report separates Asian students into three subgroups: South Asian, East Asian, and Southeast Asian.

The findings were stark:
– South Asian students (e.g., Indian) faced about a 30% disadvantage.
– East Asians (e.g., Chinese, Korean, Japanese) faced about a 10% disadvantage.
– Southeast Asians saw little to no disadvantage.

So for Korean students, the admissions disadvantage is smaller than for Indian students—but still statistically significant.

Meanwhile, the number of Indian and Chinese applicants is rising rapidly each year. With Indian students in particular growing at a high rate, Korean students are finding it increasingly difficult to carve out space in the competition.

As the report shows, Asian students overall face a lower acceptance rate compared to their White peers. The growing number of Indian and Chinese applicants only adds to the pressure for Korean students.

According to NCES statistics, there are approximately 49.6 million students in the U.S., about 2.7 million of whom are Asian.

Looking more closely, this chart (in thousands) indicates that, as of 2022, there are roughly 208,000 Asian students in 11th grade—so about 200,000 in practical terms.

Typically, the top 5–7% of students in a high school class apply to Top 20 colleges. Given the overall academic strength of Asian students, it's fair to estimate that about 10% of this group applies.

That means around 20,000 Asian students apply to Top 20 colleges.

However, with an acceptance rate of only 8–9%, that yields around 1,600 to 1,800 admitted students.

So in any given year, only about 1,600 to 1,800 Asian students gain admission to Top 20 universities.

With the continued rise in Indian and Chinese student numbers, the proportion of spots available for Korean students continues to shrink.

And let me emphasize this once more: In Science and Engineering fields, female students enjoy a relative admissions advantage. That means male students must overcome not only academic competition but also the admissions edge given to female applicants.

So for male students aiming for top-tier universities—especially in Science and Engineering—it's essential to be even more thoroughly prepared.

That concludes today’s discussion. I’ll see you in the next post. Thank you for reading.