The Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Identity in the College Experience

Explore the role of social networks in why women and racial minorities graduate from STEM majors at lower rates among college students. If women and underrepresented students of color experience greater exclusion from social networks since they are the minority, they operate at a severe disadvantage in forming study groups for their STEM classes. They are also more likely to miss out on key social information passed between peers, such as informal tips about scheduling classes or effective study strategies. Lower levels of social support and access to social information may discourage interested students from persisting in STEM majors.