Evaluator: Ai, Shuhan, & Eagan, M. Kevin, Jr.

Evaluation Methods:

This study uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), a nationally representative dataset sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In the HSLS:09 study, researchers followed a cohort of participating students throughout their high school years and into college and the workforce. The study started with a nationally representative sample of 9th grade students in fall 2009 and followed them through key milestones, including the end of 11th grade, college enrollment, and seven years after their high school entry. For the 2026 quasi-experimental study, researchers used three waves of data from the HSLS:09 study, including the baseline 9th grade survey (2009), the first follow-up survey at the end of 11th grade (2012), and the first-year college update (2013). Given the study’s focus on students’ STEM career interest and planned college major, the researchers limited the sample to students who were actively enrolled in postsecondary education as of November 2013 and excluded students attending high schools that did not appear to offer an afterschool science club or similar science-rela

Evaluation Type: Quasi-experimental

Summary of Outcomes:

A 2026 study of High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 data showed that afterschool science club participation significantly increases the likelihood of high school students entering college in STEM fields, even after accounting for demographic, academic, psychosocial, and school-level factors. 

When considering factors associated with students’ likelihood of participating in science clubs or groups, the study found that certain characteristics predicted science club participation: students who entered high school with initial STEM career aspirations, attended a school where students of color comprised 70%-100% of the population, and attended a school with programs that encouraged underrepresented students to engage in science and math were more likely to participate in a science club. Asian students and girls were also more likely to participate. Moreover, students with higher 9th-grade math achievement scores, greater interest in science, and higher school engagement had a significantly higher likelihood of participating in afterschool science clubs compared to peers with lower math achievement scores, weaker interest in science, and lower levels of school engagement. The study further found that students’ science-related activities outside of school were significant predictors of students’ participation in science clubs or groups, such as those who more frequently visited science museums or read science books. 

When analyzing the impacts of afterschool science club participation on high school students’ STEM major aspirations in college, the study found that participating in afterschool science clubs or groups significantly predicted students’ likelihood of planning to pursue a STEM major during their first year in college. Specifically, high school students participating in afterschool science clubs or groups were approximately 40% more likely to pursue a STEM major than non-participating peers. The study also found that participating students with baseline STEM career aspirations in 9th grade were nearly twice as likely to pursue a STEM major in their first year of college. Compared with students who attended schools where the student-of-color population comprised less than 10% of the student body, students who attended schools with higher student-of-color population proportions were significantly more likely to pursue a STEM major in college. Students at schools offering math or science mentorship and at schools providing scholarships for events, programs, and/or classes were more likely to intend to major in STEM fields than students at schools without those supports. 

The study also measured the associations among students’ competence, perceptions, and experiences and STEM major aspirations. The study found that students aspiring to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher as their highest degree in life were more likely to pursue STEM majors in college. Students who showed greater engagement at school were more likely to pursue STEM majors in college. The study also highlighted the impact of other predictors related to other formal and informal STEM learning. Specifically, students who took Algebra II or Geometry in 9th grade were more likely to report intentions to pursue STEM majors in college. The frequency with which participating students visited science museums or planetariums and searched online for computer technology information was also significantly and positively associated with their likelihood of planning to major in STEM fields in college.