ED3.B: High school academic coursetaking: Percentage distribution of high school graduates by the highest level of science courses taken, selected years 1982

ED3.B High school academic coursetaking: Percentage distribution of high school graduates by the highest level of science courses taken, selected years 1982–2004

Characteristic	1982	1987	1990	1992	1994	1998	2000	2004
Low academic
Total	27.2	15.8	12.8	9.7	10.0	9.3	8.7	5.6
Primary physical science	12.2	6.7	4.2	2.8	1.9	3.0	2.8	2.2
Secondary physical science and basic biology	15.0	9.1	8.7	6.9	8.2	6.3	5.9	3.4
Middle academic
General biology	35.2	41.5	37.0	36.4	34.1	28.6	27.5	25.4
Advanced academic
Total	35.4	41.9	49.5	53.5	55.3	61.5	63.1	68.4
Chemistry I or physics I	14.9	21.4	25.8	27.1	29.4	30.2	30.5	33.3
Chemistry I and physics I	5.9	10.6	12.3	12.2	13.0	16.3	14.8	17.1
Chemistry II, physics II, and/or advanced biology	14.6	9.9	11.4	14.3	12.9	15.1	17.9	18.1
NOTE: Totals do not add to 100 because a small percentage of students completed no science or only basic or remedial-level courses.
The courses classified at these science academic levels are: Primary physical science: Physical science; applied physical science; earth science; college preparatory earth science; and unified science. Secondary physical science and basic biology: Astronomy; geology; environmental science; oceanography; general physics; and basic biology I. General biology: General biology I; ecology; zoology; marine biology; human physiology; and general or honors biology II. Chemistry I or physics I: Introductory chemistry; chemistry I; organic chemistry; physical chemistry; consumer chemistry; general physics; and physics I. Chemistry I and physics I: 1 chemistry and 1 physics course from the list above. Chemistry II, physics II, and/or advanced biology: International Baccalaureate (IB) biology II; IB biology III; AP biology; field biology; genetics; biopsychology; biology seminar; biochemistry and biophysics; biochemistry; botany; cell and molecular biology; cell biology; microbiology; anatomy; chemistry II; IB chemistry II; IB chemistry III; AP chemistry; physics II; IB physics; AP physics B; AP physics C: mechanics; AP physics C: electricity/magnetism; and physics II without calculus.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. High School and Beyond Study of 1980 Sophomores (1982); National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (1992); National Assessment of Educational Progress Transcript Study (1987, 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000); Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and High School Transcript Study (2004).