This study explored contextual and constructive factors in college learning environment
affecting STEM students’ aspirations to pursue a STEM career, based on the 2014 data of the
National Assessment for Student Engagement in Learning. The structural equation modeling
(SEM) analysis of the total sample(N=19,756) reported that faculty-student interactions, campus
climate of respecting diversity, the degree of intimacy among college constituents had a direct
impact as well as an indirect impact mediated by college satisfaction on the plan to seek jobs
or higher academic degrees in STEM field. The following multiple group analysis found no
significant gender difference in the structural relationship implying that female students, in
general, are affected by the campus learning environment in the same way as male students
are. However, it is noteworthy that college satisfaction’s impact on the STEM career aspirations
was larger in the female group than in the male group. It implies that enhancing student
satisfaction by improving environmental factors will be the effective way to facilitate female
STEM students' career choice in STEM fields. The covariates representing individual and
institutional factors varied in their significant impact on the STEM career aspirations across the
gender groups. Based on these results, policy implications for promoting female STEM students’
career aspirations and further research on this topic were discussed.