Physics departments play an important role at their institutions by providing instruction in service courses. Introductory physics courses meet the curriculum requirements for many other majors or an institution’s general education science requirements. About 480,000 undergraduates took introductory physics courses in degree-granting physics departments during the 2017-18 academic year. Only about 4% of students enrolled in introductory calculus-based physics courses ultimately become physics majors.
After over two decades of increases in the number of students enrolling in introductory physics classes at degree-granting physics departments, the number has decreased by about 4% in the last two years. The greatest declines have occurred in calculus-based physics classes.
Next month we will look at undergraduate junior and senior physics major enrollments.
Susan White is Director of the Statistical Research Center at the American Institute of Physics. If you have any questions or comments, please contact her at swhite@aip.org.