Once the Great Recession hit the U.S., science and technology fields experienced an increase in American college students.

A professor at UCLA and another at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed surveys of college freshmen between 2007 and 2011. They found a "57 percent increase in the number of students who said they planned to major in engineering" and a 28 percent increase of those interested in biology.

STEM fields include science, technology, math and engineering careers.

In today's current economy, it's been reported numerous times that job employers are looking for students who have skills in either of these fields. Many students are even encouraged to take STEM classes to help them stand out among other applicants looking for jobs upon graduation.

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