COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs ranks among the nation’s top public universities for women studying engineering.
The American Society for Engineering Education recently ranked universities that grant 50 or more engineering degrees annually by the percentage of degrees awarded to women for 2004 and 2005.
Nationally, 19.5 percent of the 73,000 engineering degrees granted in the U.S. in 2004 and 2005 were to women. At UCCS, 29 percent of the engineering degrees awarded were to women, placing the university seventh among U.S. public universities and the highest in the Rocky Mountain Region.
“We are pleased by the recognition of our efforts to attract women to the engineering profession,” Jeremy Haefner, dean, College of Engineering and Applied Science, said. “We must continue to highlight the importance of science and mathematics in middle and high schools and to illuminate the opportunities that exist for students to attend UCCS.”
For several years, UCCS has worked cooperatively with local industry to provide workshops for girls interested in science and math. Additionally, the college has joined a national effort, Project Lead the Way, to improve teaching of middle and high school science and math courses.
“If we’re going to improve the pipeline of engineers, we have to show them the excitement of science and math at a relatively early age,” Haefner said. “We are pleased to join with our industry partners to improve teaching and learning.”
The summer edition of the American Society for Engineering Education’s member publication, Prism, profiles the number of engineering degrees awarded during the 2004 and 2005 academic years.
Other top public universities cited in Prism and the percentage of degrees awarded to women were: Tennessee State University (38.6%), Morgan (Maryland) State University (36.7%), North Carolina A & T University (36.6%), Alabama A&M University (36.1%), Prairie View (Texas) A&M University (32.9%), University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (28.7%), University of Alabama (28.6%), University of California, Berkeley (28.4%), Wayne (Mich.) State University (28.3%) and Colorado School of Mines (28%).
Prism is the flagship publication of the American Society for Engineering Education, a nonprofit association of more than 12,000 engineering faculty members, U.S. colleges of engineering and engineering technology, corporations, and other organizations dedicated to promoting excellence in engineering and engineering technology education. For more about the American Society for Engineering Education, visit www.asee.org.
PERCENTAGE OF ENGINEERING BACHELOR’S DEGREES AWARDED TO WOMEN BY SCHOOL, 2004-05*
SCHOOL PERCENTAGE*
1. Yale University 40.7%
2. University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 39.4%
3. Tennessee State University 38.6%
4. Morgan State University 36.7%
5. North Carolina A&T State University 36.6%
6. Princeton University 36.4%
7. Alabama A&M University 36.1%
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 35.2%
9. Brown University 34.8%
10. Tuskegee University 34.6%
11. California Institute of Technology 32.9%
11. Prairie View A&M University 32.9%
13. University of Rochester 32.1%
14. Southern Methodist University 31.4%
15. Tulane University 30.0%
16. University of Pennsylvania 29.7%
17. Washington University 29.1%
18. University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 28.7%
19. University of Alabama 28.6%
19. William Marsh Rice University 28.6%
21. University of the Pacific 28.5%
22. University of California, Berkeley 28.4%
22. Mercer University 28.4%
24. Wayne State University 28.3%
25. Colorado School of Mines 28.0%
* Minimum of 50 total bachelor’s degrees awarded.
Data source: American Society for Engineering Education_Compiled by Michael Gibbons _Learn more at: www.asee.org/colleges
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 25 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and two doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,800 students annually. For more information, visit http://www.uccs.edu.