Growth in STEM degrees has been aided by international and immigrant students, who make up 35.1 percent of non-health STEM degrees and a staggering 49.9 percent of all CS degrees awarded in the state.
Illinois’ CS graduates are five times more likely to work in Chicagothan any other city in the country, and nearly half of all CS graduates remain in Illinois - with top employers including Nokia, Allstate, State Farm and Discover.
When the Illinois Innovation Index began tracking STEM talent five years ago, the state ranked 43rd nationally for the share of college degrees awarded in STEM disciplines. In 2016, Illinois rose to ninth. This transformation has been aided by tremendous growth in health and CS degrees, which reached record highs in 2016. Illinois’ growth has also been catalyzed by international and immigrant students, which make up a staggering 49.9 percent of the state CS graduates.
Interested in helping to prepare the next generation of STEM talent? Sign up here to become a mentor on ISTI’s Mentor Matching Engine — an online mentoring tool that pairs high school students across Illinois with mentors to collaborate on student-driven research projects. Right now we are especially seeking mentors to join projects in the social sciences in addition to mentors in traditional STEM subjects.
The Illinois Innovation Index highlights data and metrics on innovation and entrepreneurial activity across Illinois. The Index is a publication wholly researched and produced by the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition.