University Programs Seeking to Increase the Number of Women Engineers

Purdue engineering student at an event aimed at generating interest in engineering among K-6 students.

Purdue University and Washington State University are reporting significant progress in enrolling and retaining women students in engineering programs.

At Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, there are 460 first-year women enrolled in the College of Engineering this fall. That is up from 352 women a year ago. This is the largest number of women among first-year engineering students in Purdue’s history. The percentage of women in the first-year class has increased from 20.6 percent in 2010 to 26.1 percent this year. Purdue has been actively recruiting students in high school and recent efforts have included programs to interest young girls in elementary school in the field of engineering.

At Washington State University in Pullman, 90 women students are enrolled in engineering programs. Great strides have been made in retention through the Women’s Mentoring Program which matches current students with women currently working as engineers. Since 2008 the retention rate for women engineering students has increased from 50 percent to 72 percent.