Colleges that are great for female engineers?

As a female high school junior, I'm interested in engineering and want to know which colleges are known for supporting female engineers. What factors should I consider, and do you know of any schools that have particularly strong communities or resources for women in engineering?

You're asking a great question, and I'm glad to see you're considering both the programmatic strength of schools and their environments for supporting underrepresented genders within engineering.

When thinking about colleges, you would want to consider the size and reputation of the universities' engineering programs, opportunities for research, clubs and student organizations geared toward women or underrepresented genders in STEM, mentorship programs, and career resources.

Here are some universities which have been recognized for their efforts in supporting women in engineering:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Not only does MIT have one of the top engineering programs globally, but they also have a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter and the Women's Technology Program, which is a rigorous 4-week summer academic and residential experience for female high school students.

2. Stanford University: Stanford's engineering program is also top-notch. They have the Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) community, which aims to provide support and resources for female or gender nonconforming students in these fields.

3. University of California, Berkeley: Berkeley Engineering has a broad range of resources for women, including the group Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) and the Female Leaders in Engineering (FLE) student organization.

4. Georgia Institute of Technology: Ranked highly for engineering, Georgia Tech boasts influential groups like the Women in Engineering (WIE) program and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), both of which focus on female empowerment in the field.

5. Purdue University: Purdue’s Women in Engineering Program is one of the oldest in the country, and the university is also home to a chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.

These colleges just scratch the surface, and I encourage you to expand your search and research the initiatives each university has to ensure inclusivity. Visit their websites, reach out to the admissions officers or the heads of these programs, or even see if you can get in touch with current students. This can give you more insight into the community and support you might find as a woman in engineering at any given school.