Feeders into top engineering graduate schools?

GShine_1989 · September 29, 2006, 7:39pm

Can we try to compile a list of where the students at the top engineering graduate programs got their undergrad degree? I’ve seen a lot of “all undegrad engineering schools are the same” comments and it would be interesting if this holds true in grad school admissions.

Mr_Payne · September 29, 2006, 7:49pm

MIT, Cal Tech, Harvey Mudd, UMich, Cal, etc…

All the heavy hitters can put you into any graduate school (assuming you have the right stuff). There are two main things to consider I believe - research opportunity and GPA. If someone has a choice of MIT & Texas A&M and chooses Texas they will have a correspondingly high GPA and likely will be a top choice for any research opportunity available. However, at MIT that person will just be one of the herd, a lower GPA and probably some good research experience. It’s hard to compare, as you can see. Feeder schools usually only feed the best students to graduate school (but obviously a graduate program understands a low GPA from MIT is not neccessarily proof of underperformance).

dr_reynolds · September 29, 2006, 7:58pm

Certainly there would be some schools that have a larger number of students that go onto top graduate schools, but you really can go to a top graduate school from any school. The key is high GPA and some research experience. Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot get into grad school x coming from school y.

GShine_1989 · September 29, 2006, 8:49pm

Yes, I know which schools are likely to top the list and what factors are considered important by grad school admissions. The topic itself has been discussed many times. What I want to do is to compile a list with numbers and names of schools. Navigating through university websites is a pain so I was hoping some posters here had some links to such info.

molliebatmit · September 29, 2006, 9:15pm

MIT gives a pretty substantial advantage in its graduate admissions process to MIT undergrads. About half of MIT grads who choose to grad school go to a graduate program at MIT (raw numbers [url=<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/graduation05.pdf]here[/url”>http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/graduation05.pdf]here[/url</a>], on page 5 of the pdf). Unfortunately, I don’t know of any statistics from the other end, but here’s what I do know.

I know that EECS explicitly reserves 20% of its graduate program seats for MIT graduates, and that doesn’t count the 50% of each EECS class which enters the MEng program, which is reserved specifically for MIT undergrads. So about 60% of MIT EECS undergrads go on to get a graduate degree of some kind from MIT (125 MEng students, ~20 SM/PhD students).

In my fiance’s department, aero/astro, the department’s policy is “accept all the MIT grads and give them good financial packages so they won’t go to Stanford.” :)

GLOBALTRAVELER · September 29, 2006, 9:46pm

Remember…

The admission stardards for graduating college senior going to grad school and someone who has work experience and enters grad school can be different.

I never took the GRE…and didn’t have a 3.2+ GPA as an undergrad.

I took 3 grad courses as a non-degree student, aced those babies, put my work experience on the application and PRESTO…I was admitted.

rocketDA · September 30, 2006, 2:46am

By the numbers:

Caltech
Harvey Mudd
MIT
Reed(?)

vonlost · September 30, 2006, 12:27pm

While it is true that Reed has the fourth highest percentage of its graduates later earning PhD’s in the Sciences and Engineering category, the total number of engineering PhD’s is small (15 for 1986-95, latest data available). Note also that Reed has no engineering department, but rather a 3/2 dual degree program with Caltech, Columbia and Rensselaer. Reed’s PhD data is at <a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phdrank.html[/url]”>http://web.reed.edu/ir/phdrank.html</a>

VTjas81 · September 30, 2006, 1:03pm

Here’s a partial list of the graduation survey at my undergrad school(Virginia Tech). I also knew 1 who went to Princeton, 2 went to Columbia, and 1 went to UIIC. The whole list is given by the link at the end. I went to Columbia. It looks like most of the people stayed at VT for their graduate school. But like Dr. Reynolds said, a variety of different undergrad schools are represented at the top graduate schools.

Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Engineering Biological Systems Engineering Biological Systems Engineering Biological Systems Engineering Biological Systems Engineering Biological Systems Engineering Biological Systems Engineering Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Master Civil Engineering Law degree (J.D.) Civil Engineering Master Civil Engineering Master Civil Engineering Master Civil Engineering Master Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Master Computer Science Master Computer Science Doctor Computer Science Doctor Computer Science Law degree (J.D.) Computer Science Master Computer Science Doctor Computer Science (not specified) Computer Science Master Computer Science Master Engineering Virginia Tech Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering Engineering Science & Mechanics Industrial & Systems Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Master of Science (M.S.) Aerospace Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Aerospace Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Aerospace Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Aerospace Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Statistics Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Bioprocess Engineering University of Tennessee Knoxville TN
Master of Science (M.S.) Biological Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Biological Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Biological Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Biological Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Entomology Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Chemical and Biological Engineering Northwestern University Evanston IL
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Material Science and Engineering University of Delaware Newark DE
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Polymer Science and Engineering University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Pharmacy University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis TN
of Science (M.S.) Environmental Engineering University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC
Law University of the West Indies Cave Hill Barbados
of Science (M.S.) Civil and Environmental Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Science (M.S.) Civil and Environmental Engineering - Geotech Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Science (M.S.) Civil Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Science (M.S.) Structural Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Computer Engineering George Mason University Fairfax VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Computer Engineering George Washington University Washington DC
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Electrical Engineering University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA
Master of Science (M.S.) Computer Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Computer Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Computer Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Electrical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Science (M.S.) Information Security Technology & Management Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA
of Science (M.S.) Computer Science North Carolina State University Raleigh NC
of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Computer Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana-Champagne IL
of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Computer Science University of Massachusetts Amherst MA
Law University of Virginia Charlottesville VA
of Science (M.S.) Computer Science Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Computer Science Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
CS Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Science (M.S.) Electrical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
of Science (M.S.) Geography Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Electrical Engineering Virginia Tech (not specified) VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Electrical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Electrical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Electrical Engineering (Communications) Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Electrical Engineering / Communications Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Power Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Bioengineering Clemson & Medical Univ. of SC Joint Bioengineering Prog. Charleston SC
Master of Science (M.S.) Industrial and Systems Engineering Pennsylvania State University University Park PA
Master of Science (M.S.) Human Factors and Ergonomics Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Industrial & Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Industrial and Systems Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Materials Cambridge University Cambridge England
Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D.) Materials Science and Engineering Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD
Master of Science (M.S.) Materials and Metallurgical Engineering New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM
Master of Science (M.S.) Materials Science and Engineering Pennsylvania State University State College PA
Master of Science (M.S.) Materials Science and Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Medical Doctor (M.D) Medicine (not specified) (not specified) PA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Georgia Tech Atlanta GA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering McGill Univeristy Montreal Canada
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Biblical Studies New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary New Orleans LA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering University of South Carolina Columbia SC
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Business Administration Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) ESM Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech (not specified) VA
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA
Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA

<a href=“http://www.career.vt.edu/scripts/PostGrad2006/Report/GradSchoolAttendanceList.asp?College=05&Major=ALL&Cohort=2004-2005&SortBy=M[/url]”>http://www.career.vt.edu/scripts/PostGrad2006/Report/GradSchoolAttendanceList.asp?College=05&Major=ALL&Cohort=2004-2005&SortBy=M</a>

sax · September 30, 2006, 1:51pm

It seems to me that you would want to go to grad school where they are researching what you are interested in. If you do undergrad research and internships that lead you in a certain direction then you would naturally head towards the grad program that is funded in that research area. I would figure any grad program would be happy to have you if you are focused on what they are doing and can add to their program.

GShine_1989 · September 30, 2006, 2:37pm

Thank you for the links. It seems it is common for M.S. seekers to stay at their undergrad school and LAC engineers to go on to earn a Ph.D. I wonder which schools produce the most future Ph.D. earners in terms of absolute numbers?

vonlost · September 30, 2006, 3:17pm

Here are some old raw numbers (I think newer are available somewhere):

Engineering 1986-1995

Rank Institution No.

1 Massachusetts Inst of Tech (MA) 705
2 Cornell U (NY) 347
3 Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst (NY) 328
4 Carnegie Mellon U ¶ 226
5 California Inst of Tech (CA) 190
6 Case Western Reserve U (OH) 188
7 Brigham Young U (UT) 179
8 Princeton U (NJ) 178
9 Stanford U (CA) 164
10 Rice U (TX) 152
11 Lehigh U ¶ 151
12 U of Pennsylvania ¶ 150
13 U of Notre Dame (IN) 136
14 Duke U (NC) 130
15 Johns Hopkins U (MD) 128
16 Drexel U ¶ 123
16 Northwestern U (IL) 123
18 Columbia U (NY) 117 
19 U of Rochester (NY) 111
20 Brown U (RI) 109
21 Clarkson U (NY) 104
22 Worcester Polytech Inst (MA) 93
23 Illinois Inst of Tech (IL) 91
23 Northeastern U (MA) 91
25 Washington U (MO) 90

Source: Baccalaureate Origins of Doctoral Recipients, 8th Edition, HEDS

rocketDA · September 30, 2006, 3:40pm

yes, but that is total, not per capita.

Dirt_McGirt · September 30, 2006, 4:20pm

He asked for total.

GShine_1989 · September 30, 2006, 4:59pm

Thanks, vossron. I noticed that public universities are excluded from that list. Illinois and Michigan and some others surely must’ve produced enough doctorate earners to make the list.

What I’m most interested in seeing is something like [url=<a href=“http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd/colleges.php]this[/url”>http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd/colleges.php]this[/url</a>] for the top engineering schools.

vonlost · September 30, 2006, 5:05pm

Sorry, you’re right, I failed to notice that the report was for private schools only. Perhaps someone can share the public school data.

Feeders into top engineering graduate schools?

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