Progress in Meeting Degree Production in Data Science & Technology, Education, Healthcare, and Science & Engineering

Overview & Synopsis

Beginning in 2018, the General Assembly of Virginia has appropriated $28.4 million annually to increase degree production in Data Science and Technology, Science and Engineering, Healthcare and Education (STEM-H) fields across 14 of the Commonwealth's public four-year institutions. The General Assembly has included language that details corresponding requirements and expectations for each institution in the appropriation act since 2018. Collectively, the funding aims to produce an annual total of 880 new bachelors, masters, doctoral and first professional degrees above the 2016-2017 academic year baseline of approximately 22,000. As Virginia's coordinating body for higher education, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is mandated to track each institution's progress and reports to the chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees annually. The narrative, tables and charts in this report describe the total awards produced by area/field and institution within the context of the General Assembly's goals.