For decades, high-achieving high school students have been told the surest way to impress selective colleges is to take calculus. In a recent national survey of 133 admissions officers, 74 percent said the College Board’s Advanced Placement calculus course is among the math classes that “carry the most weight” in admissions decisions. And yet, once a student is in college, statistics is a more common course requirement than calculus. In fact, most college students will graduate without ever taking calculus.
Despite these facts, a study I co-authored on schools in high schools in the New England region found that 40 percent don’t offer AP statistics. I was curious about what appears to be a disconnect between standard math pathways and math in practical applications. And further, what might be done to create more rigorous math opportunities for a wider number of students?
I collaborated with University of Texas researchers on another study that followed millions of students in the state. We found that those who pursued calculus were more likely to major in science, technology, engineering, or math and enroll in highly selective colleges. For classmates who were not pursuing STEM majors, taking calculus had minimal long-term effects on their future careers. There were no significant differences in degree completion or wages for those who studied calculus and those who took other math classes.
Our research doesn’t dispute that students who take calculus often go on to earn higher salaries than those who don’t, but the cause and effect is more nuanced. Calculus itself doesn’t necessarily lead to bigger paychecks; rather, students aiming for high-earning fields like engineering or computer science tend to take it because those careers require it.
In fact, based on our research, after accounting for students’ academic preparation, those who took statistics earn just as much money in the long run as those who studied calculus. This further supports the conclusion that while calculus remains essential for STEM-bound students, it shouldn’t be the only marker of rigor.
Forcing students not planning a STEM career to take calculus because it’s the only rigorous math option may discourage and frustrate them, while a different math course such as statistics might better prepare them for high-earning careers in other fields that better align with their interests. For example, statistics and data science courses can build skills that are applicable in areas ranging from business to public policy, health care, and the social sciences.
That’s why high schools and colleges should offer—and recognize—multiple rigorous math options. Rather than making calculus the only advanced math class, schools should provide choices that match students’ aspirations, and colleges should value these on par with AP calculus.
What should matter is giving every student the opportunity to tackle challenging, relevant subjects such as calculus, statistics, computer science, and data science. Those courses should be backed by robust standards, curricula, and assessments, like those established by the AP program, to ensure the courses will be recognized by colleges for their academic rigor that is also aligned with students’ career paths.
The AP program is widely recognized and accepted by colleges for its standards, curriculum, and comprehensive end-of-course exam. Districts that offer a wider variety of AP math options will provide more students with access to rigorous relevant math. Other emerging options, like AP computer science courses or perhaps a future AP data science class, could also serve as rigorous alternatives, giving students a choice of advanced math that connects directly to their aspirations.
In the longer term, state education officials wishing to develop data science or quantitative computing opportunities would be wise to follow the AP recipe that has made the program the gold standard for high school education. And high schools should make AP statistics itself more broadly available, especially for those considering non-STEM majors. More students are likely to discover relevance and career opportunities in collecting, analyzing, visualizing, and interpreting data. It’s time to build and strengthen high school math pathways that better reflect that reality.
Editor's note: This was first published by The 74.
