In a recent conversation with a parent whose son is looking to major in engineering, a question arose that I am often asked: “Is it better to attend a specialized engineering college or to enroll at a comprehensive college that offers engineering along with many other majors?” The concern is the genesis of the question. What if my child does not like engineering? Wouldn’t a college with many academic options offer a fallback position if he or she does not want to major in engineering? There are many ways I could address these concerns, and my response would depend on the student’s background, interests, and a demonstrated passion for the technical fields. However, as this is a blog post, I will answer in general.
In response, I ask, “Is it better to explore your passion fully or partially or half-hearted manner?” Without fail, parents and students alike express that the former is the better approach. So, my advice is this: “It’s better to attend a college that fully supports your passion than to attend one that may not.” Or to put it another way—what if you find out you are passionate about the subject area? Wouldn’t it be advantageous to attend a college with a strong reputation in that area? Having worked at specialized engineering and science schools for 18 years, I have come across many students who have faced this dilemma. I have learned, however, that the number of students who transferred because they disliked their major was a small percentage of the total, which proves most are better off with their first choice.
This post is not advocating specialized engineering colleges. Many colleges and universities offer strong engineering programs along with many other academic majors. My point here is to remove from your decision-making process the question of whether or not to attend a specialized college. You may want a school with many majors because you wish to be in a large institution (most specialized colleges tend to be small in size compared to comprehensive colleges or land-grant universities). You may want to be close to home, to move far away, or to play sports in college. These criteria need to be addressed for purposes of focus and differentiation but should not be clouded by a question that often steers students in the wrong direction.
Yes, there are many excellent engineering programs at large institutions, but I have also seen some weak ones masked by the overall reputation of the college. These programs masquerade as great engineering departments or schools, but in fact, offer little exceptionalism in this technical field.
Excellence in engineering requires sponsored research with engaged faculty along with exceptional co-curricular activities and networks for students. The academic distinction does not happen by chance or accident—an active faculty with a reputation for excellent teaching and research attracts companies and government agencies who in turn hire their graduates. In many instances, the academic programs will be entrepreneurial, innovative, and creative. Student projects, labs, and design courses will be a combination of applied and theoretical science deepening each student’s understanding of the cornerstone of scientific discovery and its application in society.
To illustrate, we can look at a comparison between College A, a well-known, comprehensive state college that offers engineering and College B, an institute of technology focused on engineering in the same state. College A provides seven engineering majors with 627 students, but only 24 faculty members and less than $1 million in federal or state-sponsored research. By contrast, College B has 11 engineering majors, 1,800 students, 118 faculty members, and $36 million in sponsored research. Without digging too far, you can see College B has more resources directed to its engineering program than College A and attracts more considerable interest from outside organizations looking to partner on research. On a collaborative level, the student-to-engineering faculty ratio is 26 to 1 for College A, while only 15 to 1 for College B. This data point matters when we consider student success, persistence, and overall satisfaction. These facts, as well as others, are fundamental indicators of superior engineering education.
My answers to the original question do not pertain to engineering alone. Other programs such as art, computer science, architecture, and science are applicable as well. The reason to attend a specialized college or not should be related to qualities you seek in any college as opposed to being risk-averse. In my opinion, we need more students following their interests and taking the deep dive. Fully investing in your passion will only pay dividends in the future. Taking the safer path will only lead to someday asking yourself, “What if?” In future blogs, I will highlight how to identify exceptional attributes of engineering programs. Stay tuned.
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