pierre0913

Clemson isn't a school with "Tech" in it but it might as well be since 32% of students are in the college of engineering and science (many more start out in engineering and then drop out, add the college of agriculture/life sciences and it goes up to 50%). Clemson is a great competitive place to play sports - probably would need to be one of the best in the country since it is a Division I school (there are many female athletes who are engineering/science majors). There is a program called WISE at Clemson - Women In Science & Engineering (Clemson University : Women in Science and Engineering : Welcome to Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)). The female/male ratio is 46/54 so it's pretty even. I'm a civil engineering major and there are actually a good number of girls in my classes surprisingly.
Edit: Just looked it up and about 23% of people in engineering/science are girls

So if you're looking for a safety or school where you know you'll get in - check out Clemson! I know you're looking at much better schools but our honors college is fantastic. Let me know if you have any questions about Clemson!

BeanTownGirl

Those lists are interesting but don't read too much into them. First, raw numbers are meaningless because the sizes of the schools vary so much. The % list is more relevant however, it will leave out computer science, math, biology, chemistry, physics majors - so it makes the "tech" schools look worse than they really are. It's not counting all STEM majors, and that would be a more interesting and relevant list for the OP. I wonder if someone published a list like that?

Anyway, I am glad your daughter has an open mind and is willing to consider all types of schools. I think the WPI summer program would be great, I know someone who did it and loved it.

Ultimately, if she choose a non-tech school there are lots of good choices - I'll put in a (prejudiced) vote for Tufts :-)

OHMomof2

Thanks for the suggestions. There is also a WISE program at OSU, where she is very clear she does NOT want to go (it's our state flagship but "too close"), but it is convenient for a summer or during school year program. I've been in touch with them already as they have a few events coming up.

I think Clemson is a bit too far south though she would consider an Atlanta area school (Emory maybe), mainly because it's also a "real city" and she's spent time with family who live there.

But you raise a good point. I'm aware a lot of engineering students switch out...I'd hate for her to be at a school where that wasn't a real option unless she was absolutely for sure in love with her major, had a summer of work behind her.

We're going to be in NYC for holidays next week...wish we could do a tour or two but the same reason we will be there is the same reason schools don't offer visits that week. I've already walked her through Columbia and Barnard campus...I guess we could go gaze at the outside of the NYU Poly buildings in Brooklyn

collegehelp

percent women among STEM graduates at schools with at least 20 engineering graduates, schools with minimum 500 math 25th percentile SAT

number of STEM women grads, percent STEM women graduates, school name

86 58.5% Loyola Marymount University
49 53.8% Roger Williams University
72 50.0% Seattle University
65 50.0% Trinity University
70 49.6% University of San Diego
116 49.6% George Washington University
56 48.7% Texas A & M University-Galveston
94 47.7% University of Portland
112 47.7% The College of New Jersey
270 47.6% University of Miami
126 47.4% Dartmouth College
84 47.2% SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
118 46.6% Yale University
66 46.5% Hofstra University
104 45.6% Tulane University of Louisiana
308 45.2% University of Georgia
968 45.0% University of California-Davis
162 45.0% University of Alabama at Birmingham
40 44.9% Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
426 44.8% Massachusetts Institute of Technology
383 44.7% University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
1198 44.7% University of California-San Diego
196 44.4% University of North Texas
71 44.4% University of the Pacific
259 44.3% Temple University
557 43.4% University of South Florida-Main Campus
255 43.1% Florida Atlantic University
220 43.0% University of Rochester
187 42.7% Marquette University
35 42.7% Fairfield University
119 42.7% Bucknell University
367 42.5% University of California-Santa Cruz
73 42.4% Harvey Mudd College
175 42.2% Brown University
111 41.7% Southern Methodist University
340 41.7% University of South Carolina-Columbia
945 41.7% University of California-Los Angeles
207 41.4% Miami University-Oxford
207 41.4% Baylor University
811 41.0% University of California-Irvine
234 40.9% Columbia University in the City of New York
381 40.8% University of Virginia-Main Campus
311 40.7% Colorado State University-Fort Collins
81 40.5% University of St Thomas
578 40.3% Michigan State University
271 40.3% Boston University
191 40.0% Harvard University
339 40.0% University of Houston
102 40.0% Santa Clara University
69 39.7% Mercer University
320 39.6% University of Southern California
93 39.6% University of Missouri-Kansas City
191 39.5% Vanderbilt University
32 39.5% Trinity College
44 39.3% Hope College
121 38.2% Tufts University
135 38.0% Rice University
67 37.9% Grove City College
255 37.8% University of Pennsylvania
483 37.7% Cornell University
128 37.6% University of North Florida
865 37.6% University of California-Berkeley
324 37.6% University of California-Santa Barbara
476 37.5% University of Colorado Boulder
176 37.4% University of Notre Dame
206 37.4% Duke University
186 37.3% Syracuse University
760 37.1% University of Washington-Seattle Campus
401 37.1% Stony Brook University
165 37.0% Princeton University
135 36.8% University of Hawaii at Manoa
201 36.6% Johns Hopkins University
308 36.3% University of Connecticut
385 36.2% University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
322 36.2% Florida State University
55 35.9% Texas Christian University
656 35.9% University of Wisconsin-Madison
199 35.6% Northwestern University
81 35.5% California Institute of Technology
600 35.4% University of Maryland-College Park
732 35.2% North Carolina State University at Raleigh
137 35.1% Villanova University
260 34.9% University of Maryland-Baltimore County
131 34.8% University of Vermont
177 34.7% University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
320 34.5% University of Illinois at Chicago
763 34.5% Texas A & M University-College Station
513 34.3% Rutgers University-New Brunswick
204 34.2% University of Delaware
309 34.0% University of Massachusetts Amherst
204 34.0% Stanford University
83 33.9% Saint Louis University-Main Campus
120 33.8% Grand Valley State University
246 33.7% George Mason University
292 33.7% Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
432 33.6% University of Central Florida
824 33.6% The University of Texas at Austin
251 33.4% SUNY at Binghamton
55 33.3% Calvin College
638 33.2% University of Florida
76 33.0% Lafayette College
179 33.0% Case Western Reserve University
28 32.9% Messiah College
48 32.9% United States Coast Guard Academy
688 32.6% University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
188 32.6% The University of Alabama
602 32.1% University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
223 31.7% University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
154 31.5% Washington University in St Louis
111 31.4% University of Dayton
227 31.4% Carnegie Mellon University
94 31.3% University of Michigan-Dearborn
137 31.2% Montana State University
342 30.9% University at Buffalo
178 30.8% University of Arkansas
23 30.7% Lake Superior State University
254 30.5% Washington State University
181 30.5% University of Iowa
182 30.4% The University of Texas at Dallas
107 30.3% Rowan University
572 30.1% Ohio State University-Main Campus
578 29.9% Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
117 29.4% University of Alabama at Huntsville
111 29.0% Stevens Institute of Technology
628 28.9% University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
204 28.9% The University of Tennessee
126 28.8% University of Louisville
25 28.7% University of Evansville
272 28.6% Clemson University
160 28.6% Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
24 28.6% Catholic University of America
65 28.5% University of Tulsa
45 28.5% Valparaiso University
266 28.4% Auburn University
267 28.2% Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
123 27.6% Lehigh University
226 27.5% University of Missouri-Columbia
114 27.4% Florida Institute of Technology
226 27.3% Northeastern University
53 26.5% Gonzaga University
319 26.2% Iowa State University
36 26.1% Ohio Northern University
23 25.8% Alfred University
46 25.7% New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
169 25.6% University of Nebraska-Lincoln
31 25.6% Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
74 25.6% Wichita State University
798 25.5% Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
542 24.9% Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
54 24.7% South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
199 24.3% Texas Tech University
94 24.1% Clarkson University
528 24.1% Purdue University-Main Campus
84 23.3% Illinois Institute of Technology
199 23.2% Drexel University
150 22.9% Colorado School of Mines
44 22.7% Southern Polytechnic State University
25 22.5% Cedarville University
167 22.4% University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
237 22.0% California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
105 21.9% University of Massachusetts-Lowell
318 21.6% Brigham Young University-Provo
183 21.5% Missouri University of Science and Technology
147 20.8% University of Utah
126 20.7% New Jersey Institute of Technology
87 20.5% Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
26 19.8% Western New England University
41 19.8% Manhattan College
75 19.7% Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
76 18.9% Brigham Young University-Idaho
102 18.7% United States Naval Academy
139 18.4% Michigan Technological University
165 18.0% Rochester Institute of Technology
55 17.2% Kettering University
43 16.3% Polytechnic Institute of New York University
16 16.2% Trine University
17 13.0% Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
42 12.6% United States Military Academy
55 11.7% United States Air Force Academy
9 11.4% LeTourneau University
36 10.8% Milwaukee School of Engineering
10 9.9% SUNY Maritime College
8 8.9% Wentworth Institute of Technology
10 8.7% Virginia Military Institute
8 6.5% Citadel Military College of South Carolina

BeanTownGirl

collegehelp - where did you find those stats? I'm trying to figure out why WPI isn't listed there at all, they graduated 823 students last year, the vast majority in engineering, SAT for incoming freshman MATH is 640-730. Almost everybody is STEM, but for a small percentage of business majors and the very rare Humanities or Social Science major.
How does it not meet the criteria for your search? Does it exclude WPI because SAT is optional, though most students submit it? Only engineering school that does that...

collegehelp

Yes, WPI does not report its SAT scores to the US Department of Education. It isn't possible to compare WPI with other schools. I think it is a red flag about WPI.

Data comes from US Dept of Ed IPEDS website searcheable database. Hard to use. Queries are complex.

OHMomof2

I appreciate that list also, thanks very much!

I wonder if i should post this topic, or a similar one, in the College Life forum, since I think that's perhaps more in line with the nature of my question.

BeanTownGirl

collegehelp -
But doesn't the data come from the Common Data Set? WPI does publish SAT data in its CDS. See page 10 of http://www.wpi.edu/Images/CMS/IRO/WP...012%281%29.pdf

If the reporting is done separately from the CDS, then perhaps you are not allowed to submit SAT data if it the school does not require students to submit SAT scores? That would be my guess. WPI is test-optional (perhaps the only test-optional engineering school). But most students do submit SAT or ACT and the scores are pretty high (of course, because poor test takers didn't send theirs). 88% submit SAT scores, 28% submit ACT.
So I would object to your use of the term "red-flag" with respect to WPI.

Also, I am looking on the National Center for Educational Statistics and I'm seeing lots of different tools. Could you please post a link to the one you are using? I would like to investigate more. I might ask someone at WPI as well.

BeanTownGirl

I heard back from WPI and my theory was correct. When they fill out the data for IPEDS survey they are not allowed to input SAT/ACT test scores if they state that SAT/ACT scores are not required of all students. I can see why IPEDS would do it that way. But it can certainly skew search results in this case and for any other test-optional school. Just something to be aware of when using tools like that :-)

For the record, in the last year WPI graduated 823 total students with bachelors degrees:

247 of those were women

222 were women in STEM fields

149 were women in Engineering fields, specifically

OHMomof2

Thanks bean!

collegehelp

Here is the link to the website I use. Sorry it took me so long to post this.

IPEDS Data Center - Login

BeanTownGirl

Thanks for the link, it looks like a pretty powerful tool :-)

OHMomof2

Sure is. I bookmarked it

firsttimelisa

Although this is great information (I am a mom also of a daughter who would like to major in engineering), I think what you are asking is more about the college culture of an RIT, WPI, etc... I wondered the same thing. There are several schools that I wanted my daughter to consider but she refused simply because the male/female ratio was too skewed. I think at RPI it is somewhere along the line of 70%male/30% female. She was just not interested. It's too bad - I don't know how these predominantly male schools attract more women!

BeanTownGirl

I think WPI is doing a bunch of things: outreach programs with K-12 schools to get girls interested in STEM, summer programs on campus for middle and high school kids, significant merit scholarships for good female applicants, activities and support on campus for women, and continued expansion of academic programs that seem to interest women the most (biology/biotechnology, biomedical engineering, environmental, pre-med etc.). Also, participation in sororities is at a much higher level than fraternities. I'm sure there is much more that I am just not aware of since I only have a son there ;-)
This year's freshman class was 34% female, so it is creeping up every year.