A recent study by the National Science Board has reported that while the number of jobs in the U.S. economy requiring training in science and engineering is on the rise, the number of students receiving training in these fields is declining at a disturbing rate. These findings highlight the importance of addressing student recruitment in the fields of science and engineering. However, national trends indicate that taking steps toward increasing interest in the fields and boosting student enrollments in related programs is not enough. Retention rates in these fields are currently much too low, depending on the size and type of institution studied. Science and engineering programs must therefore take action to retain more students if the demands for the workforce of the future are to be met. Particular attention needs to be paid to the retention of women in science and engineering because these data indicate that while retention is poor on the whole, the problem is accentuated among women.