Searching for a New Homeland: How Geography Matters in the College Selection and Career Decisions of STEM PhDs

Abstract

Where do Black and Brown STEM doctoral students want to live post-graduation and what are their criteria for making these decisions? This study explored the decision-making process of doctoral students and graduates with respect to their future career destinations. It investigated the regions that were most appealing to racially underrepresented minoritized (URM) doctoral students and their white counterparts. It explored the role that racial diversity in URM students’ current program played in their geographical preferences. The paper investigates how perceptions of racial discrimination impacted their decisions regarding the geography they favor. The study analyzed three survey questions from The National Survey, a study of 1641 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in engineering and computing schools. The research found that while STEM graduate students generally prefer the coastal U.S., URM students weigh other factors into their geographical preferences including the racial diversity of their current location and past experiences of discrimination.