High School Students' Expectations for a Career in Healthcare

Nearly one third of students expected to have a job in healthcare at age 30 either when they were freshmen in high school in 2009 or in 2012. The National Center for Education Statistics released a new Data Point report today June 9, entitled Male and Female High School Students’ Expectations for Working in a Health-Related Field (NCES 2020-082). This Data Point uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), initial survey and first follow-up in 2012. Key findings: Twelve percent of students who were freshmen in high school in 2009 expected to have a job in healthcare at age 30 in both 2009 and 2012. Ten percent of students who were freshmen in high school in 2009 did not expect to have a job in healthcare at age 30 in 2009, but did in 2012. A higher percentage of females than males expected to have a job in healthcare at age 30 in both 2009 and 2012 (20 percent compared to 4 percent).