Data visualization dashboard
There is a lot we can learn from data. These visualizations are designed to help mathematics and statistics departments, state leaders, and other stakeholders understand how institutions are meeting the needs of their students and of the broader mathematical sciences community. Two specific questions are answered with national data from over 1900 institutions:
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How are institutions doing in terms of graduating students in the mathematical sciences - specifically the proportion of bachelor’s degrees that are math or statistics majors?
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How big is the demand for calculus in each institution - specifically, what proportion of bachelors degree recipients are likely to have needed at least one semester of calculus to graduate?
where are the data from?
The data shown below are from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database, which includes data submitted by every institution that participates in federal student aid programs. The visualizations below show those data for the nearly 1300 institutions that issued bachelors degrees with majors in the mathematical sciences, and over 1900 institutions that delivered bachelor's degrees that required calculus. Different institutions report numbers for different types of majors within the mathematical sciences differently – especially for inter- and cross-disciplinary majors. See below for a detailed discussion of which data are displayed.
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These data were gathered as part of a Dana Center/ESG project, Charting the Course, about math pathways, more generally.
Understanding the Visualizations
Each dot represents a single institution that issued bachelor’s degrees in the 2020-2023 period. The size of the dot indicates the number of bachelor’s degrees given in 2023. The color of the dot indicates whether it is a public or private institution. The placement of the dot indicates the particular statistic:
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Average percentage of bachelor’s degrees in the mathematical and statistical sciences
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Average percentage of bachelor’s degrees in mathematics alone
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Average percentage of bachelor’s degrees that required Calculus
To find a particular institution, start typing its name in the box at the top. When you select that school, it will be highlighted appropriately in the visualization.
When you mouse over any one dot, that school’s information appears. In addition to the average percentage, the specific numbers are given just for the year 2023.
The orange X’s mark the average percentage over that group (either state or Carnegie classification).
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These visualizations are best viewed on larger screens.
our goals
By providing these statistics, TPSE aims to:
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Give math department leaders easy access to available public data.
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Provide context for each institution’s data - by both geography and institutional type.
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Highlight thriving programs that other institutions might learn from.
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Encourage data-informed decision making across the mathematical sciences.
dashboards
Math/Stat majors by institution
What proportion of students at your institution major in the mathematical sciences? How does that compare with other programs? This page presents data submitted by the 1300 institutions that granted bachelor’s degrees in the mathematical sciences since 2020. Find out how each institution is doing, compared with other similar institutions.
DEMAND FOR CALCULUS
Since the Sputnik challenge and expansion of the AP exam, US mathematics education systems have emphasized calculus - but how many students actually need it? It’s vital content for STEM, economics majors, and some business majors. What size is this group? Some take the subject out of curiosity (it is beautiful!)– but how many college graduates were required to take the course? This page presents data submitted by the 1900 institutions that granted bachelor’s degrees in 2020 in fields that generally require calculus. Find out how important calculus is at each institution, compared with other similar institutions (by state or Carnegie classification).