Science & Tech

Women In STEM: Where Do Aggies Rank?

The rankings reveal Texas A&M’s proportion of female STEM grads at 18.7 percent.
By Lesley Henton, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications September 16, 2016

Texas A&M University ranks first in Texas and 12th nationally on a list of colleges that graduate the most women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

The online higher education resource BestColleges.com analyzed data on the 100 American colleges and universities with the most undergraduates to discover which colleges graduate the most female STEM majors.

The rankings reveal Texas A&M’s proportion of female STEM grads at 18.7 percent.

“STEM majors are among the most sought-after college graduates. They have an easier time finding a job, and they make more money,” say BestColleges.com editors. “Yet at every major college, a higher percentage of men than women major in STEM fields. It’s a major reason why men earn more money than women, and many colleges and universities have made graduating more women from STEM majors a priority.”

It may be interesting to note at Texas A&M that the deans of the colleges of science, engineering and education are all women, and the top three student leaders are all female as well.

Texas A&M University ranks first in Texas and 12th nationally on a list of colleges that graduate the most women in STEM
Texas A&M University ranks first in Texas and 12th nationally on a list of colleges that graduate the most women in STEM.

The Texas A&M College of Science offers 30 degree programs, generates nearly $40 million in research funding annually, and attracts thousands of middle and high school students to campus each year for science and math outreach events. “In order to provide the technically trained workforce the nation requires, we need to recruit students with a diversity of identities, including women who have been traditionally underrepresented in STEM,” says Texas A&M Regents Professor of Chemistry Sherry Yennello. “Our students go on to productive and profitable careers in all sorts of areas, including industry, academia, business and government. But it shouldn’t be about the money; rather, it’s more about doing something you love and enjoy. And science is fun. So if young people of any background are curious about how the world around them works, they should consider studying science.”

The College of Engineering, which this year ranked No. 1 in the nation for “best value” by Best College Values for its bachelor’s in engineering program, is the largest college on the Texas A&M campus with 14 departments and more than 16,000 students. “We were proud to welcome the largest number of female freshman engineering students in the nation last year and anticipate another record year of outstanding female students to enroll at Texas A&M University,” says M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering.

Texas A&M’s College of Education and Human Development is training the next generation of STEM teachers and offers several outreach programs to stimulate early interest in STEM subjects. “For women, interest in STEM careers is often triggered in high school courses,” says College of Education Dean Joyce Alexander. “I’m pleased that Texas A&M offers students the chance to take that interest and turn it into a career in a high-demand field.”

And at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 67 percent of the degree programs are STEM-based and 57 percent of the college’s students are female. The Department of Animal Science is 76 percent female. “A strong STEM focus is a critical part of a degree in agriculture and life sciences,” said Mark A. Hussey, vice chancellor and dean for agriculture and life sciences. “Students trained in STEM fields will address the complex challenges of our nation like feeding our world and improving health.  In our college, STEM-based majors also reinforce their classroom experience with real-world activities in research, international involvement and internships.”

Also, this year, Texas A&M was cited as one of the nation’s top universities for women.

BestColleges.com states that schools with higher concentrations of women in STEM have female graduates who repay their loans faster.

Media contact: Lesley Henton, Texas A&M Division of Marketing & Communications.

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