Modeling STEM persistence in college: the mediating roles of academic preparation and academic behaviors for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Background College students’ persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields remains a longstanding concern in higher education. STEM persistence reflects a complex interplay of individual characteristics, including academic preparation (academic skills and knowledge), academic behaviors (engagement with academic work), and contextual factors (e.g., pedagogy and support systems). Despite the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among college students, evidence on how ADHD status relates to STEM persistence and through what mechanisms remains limited. This study explores whether ADHD status is associated with STEM persistence and whether academic preparation and academic behaviors help explain that association. Results Chi-square tests using matched student-level first-year and senior-year survey data from 26,199 college students indicated that students with ADHD were as likely as peers without ADHD to intend to major in STEM in the first year. However, among the 4,644 first-year students who intended to major in STEM, students with ADHD were less likely to persist in STEM majors through the senior year. A generalized structural equation model was specified and estimated to examine the association between ADHD status and STEM persistence. Students who were more academically prepared and exhibited fewer disengaged academic behaviors were more likely to persist in STEM majors. Academic preparation and academic behaviors together accounted for 98.88% of the total association between ADHD status and STEM persistence, with academic preparation exhibiting a dominant effect. Conclusions Students with ADHD intended to major in STEM at a similar rate to their peers without ADHD, but they were less likely to persist in STEM majors. The association between ADHD status and STEM persistence was primarily explained by academic preparation. These findings suggest that supporting STEM persistence for students with ADHD may involve (1) integrating traditional accommodations with targeted supports to address academic under-preparation for STEM coursework and (2) establishing STEM learning-environment features (e.g., course structure, pedagogy, and assessment design) that support students with a diverse range of academic preparation.