2024 Washington State STEM Education Report Card

The Washington State STEM Education Report Card is prepared annually on behalf of the Washington STEM Education Innovation Alliance, which brings together a broad range of business, labor, education, government, and nonprofit organizations to advise the Governor and Legislature on policy and strategic planning in support of STEM education initiatives.

The 2024 report presents a range of key data points that identify Washington as one of the leading states for STEM employer demand and highlight the need to focus on improving the full education spectrum, from early learning and K-12 to career-connected learning and postsecondary programs, to give all Washingtonians the opportunity to attain the education they need to prepare for high wage careers in STEM.

Highlights of the report include:

• Washington remains one of the leading states in the country for STEM employment. It is the #1 state in share of workers in STEM occupations as a percentage of total employment and in projected STEM employer demand by 2030.
• Expanding STEM labor market demand presents a challenge and an opportunity for Washington to help residents attain the education they need to prepare for high wage careers in STEM.
• The focus must be on improving the full education spectrum from early learning and K-12 to career-connected learning and postsecondary programs.
• The percent of Washington K-12 students meeting standard in math and science tend to decline significantly as students proceed from elementary school through 10th and 11th grade, indicating a need for more support to prepare for college-level studies.
• On many key progress measures, the data show that low-income students and students from historically underrepresented and underserved groups face significant barriers in pursuing their education goals that could be overcome with enhanced support and resources.
• The STEM education and labor market outlook shows misalignment in several key fields. For example, in the fields of computer & Information technology and engineering, and in the STEM-related health fields of nursing and dental hygiene, projected annual job openings are far outpacing annual degree completions.