Some STEM fields are less accessible to students prior to college, thus creating disparities in field interest from an early age.

• Few course offerings: physics, computer engineering, and general engineering are less likely to be offered at a high school level when compared to other STEM courses (such as biology, chemistry, and mathematics).
• Freedom to choose courses: state/district requirements for graduation can place a heavier bias towards towards "core" STEM fields such as math and biology. In addition, in situations where STEM-based courses are not mandatory for graduation, students are less likely to pursue STEM fields during college.
• Differences in early educational experiences: despite female students slightly outnumbering male students in both high school math and science, the quality of learning and engagement still differs. Female students are found to spend more time on rote and low-level activities (homework, reading textbooks) while male students trend towards high-level activities (projects, personal investigations).