The EXCEL Program began as a National Science Foundation-sponsored STEM Talent Expansion Program in 2006 and, because of its significant impact on retention of STEM majors, has since become an institutionalized program at the University of Central Florida. The University of Central Florida EXCEL Program annually recruits approximately 200 first-year STEM students into a learning community with residential/social and curricular components. First-year retention, long-term retention, and graduation rates are all higher for the EXCEL cohorts than the comparison groups. Overall retention of students in a STEM major is 43% higher for the EXCEL Program than the comparison group. In particular, women, African Americans, and Hispanics in the EXCEL Program have demonstrated high retention (54%, 57%, and 67%) and graduation rates (35%, 27%, and 50%). The large cohort size and all-inclusive nature of the EXCEL Program makes it a unique model for addressing the current need for STEM graduates.

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Regional comprehensive universities with access-oriented missions provide critical pathways for increasing the number and diversity of STEM graduates. The BOND program at California State University, Fresno supports the transition to college for first-time, full-time freshmen in selected STEM majors. BOND incorporates a learning community, active learning, and early course-based research experiences. Compared to comparison groups, students that participate in BOND are 1.93 times more likely to persist in STEM into their fourth year despite similar academic achievement in introductory STEM courses. A higher proportion of BOND students also engage with campus resources that support their first and second year on campus, which suggests that appropriate support builds persistence through the challenges of a STEM degree. This study highlights the importance of providing support strategies and resources in the first year for STEM retention, counter to the traditional narrative of “weeding out” students in their first year on campus.