The Education Crisis

Posted by in Uncategorized Dec 29th, 2004

At CIO …

In 1966, 6.8 percent (35,826) of 524,008 undergraduate degrees were conferred in engineering fields, according to the National Science Foundation. (Engineering includes aeronautical/astronautical, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical and materials.) From 1966 to 2001, the number of total undergraduates in the United States increased to 1,257,648, representing a 140 percent increase. That seems like good news, right?

Yes, except for the tech business. In 2001, the ratio of engineering degrees to overall degrees in America was down 31 percent from 1966. The 59,258 engineering grads represent only 4.7 percent of the total degrees awarded in 2001; between 1966 and 1985, engineering degrees Actually increased to 7.8 percent of the total. So in the 16 years from 1985 to 2001, there was a 40 percent drop in the number of engineering degrees awarded.

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