How do I find a good engineering program?

Going into engineering as a female means you will very likely be in the minority right off the bat. A good way to feel out if the school is a good fit for you is to look into their chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, and if possible, reach out to some members! The chapter’s lead should be able to put you in touch with some female students that would be willing to answer any questions you may have. If you have the opportunity to visit in person, you could also request to meet with some SWE members and have them walk you around. And most importantly, remember – transferring schools is always an option if it isn’t a good fit. I started at one university, transferred after 1 year, and finished at another. It didn’t hinder my education in any way!

I would recommend that you narrow the list of possible colleges by looking at student demographics and professors in the areas she wishes to study. Then, if you can, visit and speak with the department head personally – not just admissions. This should give you a better idea.

My twins are applying to college, and I definitely prefer large, public engineering schools for engineering (and most other) studies, ideally within driving distance of the parents (or other close relatives). Bigger schools offer many more class-topic opportunities, every semester (or quarter), with lots of other students to become friends with. They also provide so many extracurricular options, that there is no way a person will not fit in. Fortunately, public engineering school faculty and graduate students are of the same caliber that you will find at the private programs, for a fraction of the cost. Staying within driving distance helps ensure your support system can get to you, if needed, and avoids the cost and inflexibility of airline tickets. You always have graduate school to head to, once you’re 22 years old, if you want to land far from home. Graduate programs of engineering have research programs (or teaching assistantships) to cover your tuition and other costs.

Only if a student has very specific needs and wants (e.g., a niche type of engineering or a sports team he/she wishes to join) would I counsel considering other programs. You will generally find the top-tier students from any state at the big public engineering programs, so you will have access to top minds among your classmates. I find that students from any big, solid engineering undergraduate program will perform similarly in the admissions process to graduate programs in engineering, on any campus. So no worries there! Good luck to you.

Look for a women in engineering program and a student section of the Society of Women Engineers!

When I was in college I was one of five girls. FIVE. I was dismayed. I was fortunate to have parents that never mentioned that my path might be unusual for a girl, so was unprepared. However, here I am! I progressed through my initial career, reaching management levels, retired early, hated retirement, and returned to a job I love without feeling I have to climb a corporate ladder at this point in my life.

I have a more current example, though...

My oldest daughter graduated from college in Mechanical Engineering several years ago. Even a generation later there were relatively few girls in engineering, and those who started with engineering majors tended to have a larger number (than the boys) who changed majors. Nevertheless, her college had an option for the girls in engineering to room together, and that was a benefit. Although there were few, her small crowd became – and still remain – fast friends who were in each other's weddings and still gather for a couple of weekends each year, now often with husbands and children in tow. Unlike my time in college, they did not encounter professors who were unhappy about girls in their engineering classes, so that was helpful as well.

My advice would be to seek out a group of girls with similar interests and goals, and support each other through college. It has been wonderful for my daughter. They all have been very successful in their careers, but never felt the need to pretend to be "one of the guys" because they had their small group of engineer girls who enjoyed similar interests.

I wish you luck!

Most public schools do have public information on the gender diversity of enrollment. A better indicator is to look at the department staff, professors and lecturers and look for diversity there. It is likely that women in Engineering are lower today and that is exactly what we are hoping to change. If the current count is lower it does not always mean that the school won't welcome the change. So, do not let that discourage you from choosing Engineering. A great way to see if you'll have the support you seek is to look for societies and clubs in the school of choice. Lots of schools/universities promote/host special Women in engineering activities, mentorships, study groups, etc.

For me, I knew that I wanted to go to a four year university in the state of Iowa because I wanted in-state tuition and wanted to be within driving distance of home. So that limited me to the University of Iowa and Iowa State. Two deciding factors for me were the scholarship package and the college visit. During the college visit I was able to meet so many people and ask lots of questions and that really helped in the decision. I also chose a University that had a larger engineering program so that I would have options if I wanted to explore different types of engineering.

I would start by checking for an existing chapter of Society of Women Engineers or Women in Engineering. Next I would check for an existing mentorship program for female engineering students. Many engineering schools today have an active mentorship program that pairs up female freshman students with Sophomore or Junior students.

There are a few things to consider when choosing a school or engineering program. Proximity and cost may be the most obvious, but if you have it narrowed down to two programs in the same state here are some things to consider.

Do they have a SWE chapter? SWE is the Society of Women Engineers. This was a great way for me to find like minded women (and men) who valued philanthropy and community. We hosted a Girl Scout Badge day and showed primary school girls different engineering principles through hands-on activities. It also introduced me to ladies who weren't freshmen like me and had been through a lot of what I was getting used to. Sororities are good for this too. A sense of sisterhood (especially at an engineering and mostly male school) and women who had been through what you were experiencing and had good advice was so helpful.

Does the school have a multicultural summer program? My school called theirs the Summer Multicultural Engineering Training (SUMMET) Program. The program was designed to support high school juniors and seniors (incoming freshmen) from underrepresented populations, including ethnic minorities and women to help bridge the gap in their high school studies (if science and math classes weren't offered) as well as create a community before semester started.

What's the size of the school and how many other majors do they offer? There isn't a right or wrong answer, but think about what suits you. I picked an all engineering school, it was smaller, and focused, so everyone on campus was as keen on science and math as I was. I had a friend who went to a bigger university and studied engineering, but was frustrated that her roommate was studying something that didn't require as much time and effort. I also picked a major (mining engineering) that was less common, and wouldn't have had that option if I'd picked the other school. That was luck or fate.

Go on a campus tour if you can. Usually the tours are done by current students and they will tell you all the stuff that you can't find on the website. Plus you can get a feeling for the campus and if it is right for you, or at least that's what happened for me.

Judging a school or the engineering program is not always “easy” but definitely keeping an open mind, you should be able to gather some useful insight. Go visit the school. Set up some time to talk to a couple of deans/instructors, they are more than happy to talk to prospective students. And don’t discredit talking to some members of the engineering school’s organizations (each discipline has specific clubs/organizations plus others like SHPE (Society of Hispanic Engineers), NSBE (Natl Society of Black Engineers), SWE (Society of Women Engineers), etc.) – their club leadership will be more than happy to show you around and allow you some time to talk to members to ask specific questions about campus life and the programs, environment in general. A good place to start is with the engineering program’s administration office asking for contact information to hospitality teams who make time for these visits. Check out more than one college so you can compare how they handle your inquiries/visit. You will quickly get a good feel for how everyday college life will roll out if you do choose that particular school. Good luck and know that you have a legion of women engineers rooting for your success.

Choosing a college can be stressful, but it can also be fun! Whenever you have the opportunity go visit the school, take a tour, and ask a million questions (dorms, food, dining halls, social events, etc.). The students who give the tours will give you their perspective and can often put you in touch with others as appropriate. Make an appointment with the engineering office and ask a million more questions (class sizes, typical schedule, group projects vs. individual work, outside the classroom groups or extra activities, etc.). Focus on the type of engineering that interests you most (or if you're not sure you can figure it out during freshman year while taking the general classes). Be sure to choose a school for the overall college experience (engineering, location, extracurricular activities that are important to you, etc.). Good luck!

There are a LOT of great universities with awesome engineering departments in the United States. The one thing to check is that they have an ABET accreditation. After that, it's really your level of comfort. Would you prefer a larger university with larger classes, or medium, or smaller university and smaller classes? It is easy to set up tours and get on campus and see how it feels, and talk with the various students and professors that are part of the tour. But spend time outside of the tour. There is SO MUCH marketing going on these days, take time to soak in the campus. A website can give you a feel, but remember it is marketing, but it can give you a feel for the university is emphasizing. In turns of being a female, see if the College of Engineering has student chapters of Women in Engineering or Society for Women Engineering or other such groups. That is a good sign. You can even contact someone from the group and talk with them. Again, there are a LOT of good engineering colleges!

While preparing for college and choosing a program there are a few things you should be aware of to make the best choice possible:

1. ABET-accreditation: Always look for a school who’s engineering program is ABET accredited. This is important as it means that the school has an excellent quality program and its curriculum is reviewed by engineering professionals.
2. Reputation: Take a look at the list of notable alumni who have graduated from the school and the faculty’s accomplishments.
3. Curriculum: Are the course offerings diverse? Are they up-to-date and are they compatible with your interests? Do you get more hands-on projects or have opportunities for lab work?
4. Location: Will you be living on campus ($$$)? Off campus ($$)? Or do you live close enough to the college to commute from home ($)? Are you willing to move to another state? Is the school located in a city or a suburb?
5. Size: How big are the classes going to be in the first 2 years of school? The later 2-3 years of school? Consider the student-to-instructor ratio.
6. Diversity: Does the school have a diverse student population? Do they have a diverse set of student organizations (SWE Chapter, Key Club, Asian American Organization, LGBTQ+ Community, etc.)
7. Tuition: One class is often worth 4 units and programs charge per unit. This price is different if you qualify for In-State Tuition ($$), Out-of-State Tuition ($$$), or International Tuition ($$$$). Also, consider Community College courses ($) as explained below.

An alternate choice that is often overlooked is attending Community College for your first two years of college. Regardless of the engineering program you enter, there will always be general courses you must take that aren’t always related to your major (writing skills, language requirements, ethics, etc.). If tuition is a concern, you can always take community college courses that offer the same quality education but at a significantly cheaper price. You can also take general math or science courses that can be transferred into your Engineering School (double check with the curriculum requirements though). Aside from saving money, this allows extra time to do research into what Engineering program is right for you.

Good luck! And remember, you can always tour colleges or shadow a student of a prospective program to get better insight into the program.

There is no 100% perfect fit. You make the program work for you. There are going to be tables in life that you'd like to join. They might not have a place for you or welcome you to sit with them. Part of being a female in a male dominated field is making a chair at the tables where you are not invited to sit. The silverlining is there are many allies in the industry. In terms of finding an engineering program that is a good fit, I'll pass on a piece of advice my thesis advisor once told me. If your goal is to only obtain a bachelor's degree, apply for the big name engineering schools. If you're going after a master's degree, select a program within a research field you're interested in. If you know you want to accomplish a PhD, the school and the research topic don't matter. Pick a professor that you get along with well, and can work with for 3-5 years. Don't forget persevere.

I completely understand the anxiety and trepidation a girl might face before entering an engineering program. It is no secret that it is quite a male dominated field and imposter syndrome is quite real! But my advice would be, to research, research and do more research! Researching about the programs beforehand, not just what is listed on the college website but also i connecting with alumni to ask them very straightforward questions.

Today, social media has made connecting far more accessible than what was the scenario maybe 10 years ago. You can kindly connect with alumni, the female alumni and current students, try to see classes if there are any professors you can mail and ask relevant questions you have. Try reading up on testimonials to see what people are actually saying about the culture, etc. Try to also look up the alumni networks and if and where they are currently working or doing. You may also look up scientific journals or associations people in the college are a part of such as IEEE. Try to also connect with current students to ask them, the kind of projects they are working on!

Schools also have a lot of admission webinars or different webinars they host, try to enroll and be a part of these to directly interact with the schools committees. Extracurricular activities that are important to you can also be a good reference point to see if the school has any kind of clubs related to them on campus.

Again, at the end of the day, college like life is unpredictable and is also what YOU, yourself make of it! So regardless of finding the "perfect" school, you still have to work and be the best you can and make the best of the resources you are provided on and off campus. Have faith in yourself more. Believing in yourself is the most important criterion! I wish you all the best!

Finding a good engineering program is not really the question I would ask. I would ask, “How do I find an engineering program that fits my interests and learning styles?” There are excellent engineering programs at smaller schools that have small class sizes, but perhaps fewer choices that provide outstanding education and personalized support. There are extremely large programs that provide more opportunities but where getting individual support from a faculty member is much harder. Some schools have a lot of opportunities for undergraduate research, others do not. Some have many different engineering departments, some just 4 or 5 degrees to choose from. From my perspective, I would look for a school that has lots of opportunity for project based learning, undergraduate research, and class sizes that are not so large that you can’t get to know the Professor. But – that is just me!

Congratulations on starting the college preparation process! A great way to judge a school’s engineering program is getting the chance to talk to as many current students as you can to find out if this program would be a good fit for you! Now with social media, I would even recommend seeing if you could find current students and alumni on social media if they are content creators like myself. Most of us really want to help the next generation of STEM and are happy to share our experiences at the college that they went to. Another way that may help to gauge if the program really has a good environment for women is seeing if they have a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section or other diversity engineering societies at their college. I personally gained so many women mentors as well as a supportive community that helped me to become the well-rounded engineer that I am today through being involved with SWE at my college. SWE also gives you access to women engineers from across the globe! You can search colleges that have a current SWE section at https://swe.org/membership/sections.

Finding a good fit for college can be tough, but there's a few things you can consider that will help narrow down your choices:

• Look at what majors and classes the university offers. Does this align with where you want to take your career?
• Does the school have a women in engineering program and/or SWE section or other support group for women? If so, what kind of support is available?
• How many women and/or people from diverse backgrounds are on the faculty? (This could include graduate students/teaching assistants.)
• Look for data on the percentage of graduates who get full time job offers in their fields.
• Research what engineering clubs and activities are available to further develop skills outside of classwork.

Once you use some of the above questions to narrow down your options, plan some school visits, ask to shadow or speak with students (especially female students to get their experiences). If visits aren't possible, you can reach out to the college of engineering and ask that they put you in touch with some female engineering students who would be willing to speak about their experiences on campus and what being an engineering student is like.

Checking out the statistics for percent of females and for ranking would certainly be a good indicator on the engineering program's welcome of women. I went to a school that was ranked in the top 8 percent nationally for bachelor's degrees awarded to women in engineering and had just about 20% enrollment for undergraduate female students. Additionally, from touring the campus (day one) to graduating with the degree (success), I felt like I was a valued student all along the way. As such, I would say that the first day you talk to advisors or other students you should get excited and eager to be part of the engineering program at that school. If it doesn't feel right at the very beginning, then you may want to look at a few different schools. (Your gut and your heart should weigh in on this decision – go beyond what the metrics identify). Big picture though, I, too, would see if the engineering program has an "Intro to Engineering" type of class where you can learn about different varieties of engineering majors before getting too far into coursework. Basically, if you enroll in an engineering program with a certain degree declared and later realize it is perhaps not the best fit for you, having this class to refer to can help you recognize that there are all types of engineering degrees for all types of interests. I switched from environmental to civil after my first year and never looked back. I seriously believe that the exposure I received in the intro class helped me define which type of field lined up best with my personality and future career goals.