Best universities for women?
Best universities for women?
I have a few daughters looking for science and engineering programs in the next few years. They're all scared to attend schools in states hostile towards women. I get that. I'm looking for recommendations for schools in states positive towards women that have good STEM programs.
I assume you are refering to the US without explicite writing it. But most European countries should be fine - especially Nordic countries.
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Definitely look into European universities if you can afford the plane tickets. I wish I had as a young adult -- I've heard great things about education quality as well as affordability.
University of Michigan. Ann Arbor is a hardcore dem city and in a state with abortion rights protected af
I second Michigan! I live here, and the middle-state cities here are typically full of left-leaning young folks.
The farther north you go, though, the political leanings get worse. Definitely recommend mid & lower Michigan, though.
Women go to the same universities as men.
This isn't like shampoo, where the women's version is a seperate product.
Take a little time to read the whole question. They're asking about cities/states where their daughters can feel safe & empowered, as well as the fact that there is a good university, that likely shouldn't have a "frat bro" culture.
OP never mentioned men. Bit of a slip on your part.
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Buy the "Fiske Guide to Colleges". It lists hundreds of colleges in the US. You can look up by major, location, price, etc.
It also discusses things like social life, acceptance rate, and amenities.
I have 3 kids that are in or went to college. This was indispensable.
I apologize if this isn't the kind of comment that you're looking for...but what's wrong with the colleges local to you? Do you live in an unsafe area? It makes a hell of a lot more sense to go to a school with in state tuition rather than going across the country to a school with needlessly exorbitantly expensive out of state tuition.
Maybe I was just lucky in the state I grew up in.
Is this American ? You don't say where. I'm not aware of any difference in the states here in Australia. But if so, maybe RMIT?
Any of the dozens of unis in California should be fine
What do you mean by "states hostile towards women"? What's going on there?
Texas, Florida, Idaho, Ohio, Oklahoma....
We are in Florida and the universities are fine, except for the loss of the New College (may RDS rot in hell for what he did to that school). But if they are interested in engineering they wouldn't have needed the free school.
If it's cool here, it's probably fine everywhere. Colleges are filled with kids from different places.
Many states in the US are on an anti-abortion warpath. I live in North Carolina, which recently outlawed abortion after 12 weeks. I want to move elsewhere -- I feel unsafe and uncared for.
I have never been so grateful to live in the PNW. We're a bit of a hike from NC, but you'd be plenty safe here!
No sarcasm. Is this a question you want an answer to?
Otherwise I wouldn't be asking.
Universities with higher female student ratio are probably a safe bet, although fair warning your daughters will statistically have worse matches for a partner.
Source; went to a school of higher women pop, scored a gem.
Jokes aside though, simply aiming for the best school is a safe bet too.
Make sure to set out the financial implications of different states. E.g., the California unis might be good - but you're also dealing with out of state tuition.
And also look at the pipeline - I was interested in biology, but all of the people in the program were hyper competitive pre-medical students. And who wants to deal with that?
Not sure if it's implied by I'm assuming you are looking for American schools?
New Jersey has Rutgers, NJIT, and Stevens Institute of Technology. New Jersey in general is positive to women and all schools have programs in place to be inclusive to women in engineering.
My daughter went to RIT and got a great education with zero harassment issues.
BU is a good bet, sticker price is expensive but the financial aid is pretty decent if you can take advantage. I'd definitely recommend them picking a school somewhere they'd probably want to live after college, as getting employment in the same area you're going to school is much easier.
Cal Tech
Historically women's colleges are generally very empowering environments. I live in the southeast, and the ones nearby that come to mind are Salem College, Meredith College, and Hollins University. I think all of these are liberal arts, but Salem has a health leadership focus and is developing a strong STEM program to complement that. From personal experience, Salem provided an excellent experience for me and the other people I know who went there.
I know the SE probably isn't the location you're thinking of, but North Carolina has had democratic governors for years and years who are supportive of women's and lgbtq rights. Larger cities are generally more pleasant than the rural areas. Also the tech, science, and health fields in NC are vibrant and still growing.
Private colleges do come with a higher tuition, but scholarships are available if the students excel in academics and extra-curriculars. If they end up going out of state, the private school tuition wouldn't be that different than a state school charging out of state tuition. And to note, the private schools I mentioned are nonprofits, so they're not taking that money and pocketing it. They are held to a specific standard set by the IRS for nonprofits in general, as well as by the accreditation bodies for higher education.
Unfortunately North Carolina's current abortion law is 12 weeks. That's unacceptable.
And thus, not amenable to women.
73% upvotes.
The downvotes that are part of the 27%, what's your problem?
Downvoted it because OP didn't specify where in the world they were, therefore nobody can properly give a good answer. Recommending an overseas university is very different to recommending one from their country.
Fair, but they wrote "states" which immediately maked me think it's the US.
Check out Melbourne University if you live in Victoria.
I'd be looking more at interests and leaders in those interests if possible. Red States don't do much leading in anything relevant. It sucks to be looking at what one's life interests might be like at such a young age.
Personally, I'd be looking at who is closest to TSMC, Intel, Samsung, etc., and focus on getting into schools and programs that lead to semiconductor fabs. There is a lot of money and investment in that space.
How about Finland?
What makes a good STEM program is usually dependent on both the student and the exact discipline they want. My university had a great engineering department and great wildlife management program, but good luck to you if you want biochemistry.
Other than that? Just avoid the Neoconfederacy. They've even done us all the favor of trying to outlaw abortion, and there are plenty of infographics that can show you the no-go states.