Money magazine ranks University of Washington Bothell third in the nation on its list of “25 great, accessible colleges for aspiring scientists and engineers.”
The magazine rated colleges that score high in its national rankings, accept more than two-thirds of their applicants and have good graduation rates.
The rating Monday drew on Money’s ranking of UW Bothell as 36th in the nation last year on its overall list of best colleges. And, the early-career median salary for UW Bothell science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates is $64,100, according to PayScale.com figures used by the magazine. UW Bothell followed Maine Maritime Academy and Texas A&M University on the list.
“This ranking reflects the outstanding faculty, staff and students in the School of STEM at UW Bothell,” said Elaine Scott, dean and professor of engineering.
“Our faculty and staff dedicate themselves to providing engaging, collaborative, and rigorous educational opportunities for our diverse student body. We are proud to be recognized this way as our graduates continue to become successful and engaged citizens,” she said.
In the past five years, 33 degrees have been added at UW Bothell and 14 are in the STEM fields. The School of STEM is committed to providing access to students from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented populations. For the 2015-2016 academic year, 33 percent of STEM students are from underrepresented populations or low-income families, and 30 percent of STEM students are women.
Students say the ranking illustrates how distinctive learning practices in the science-based programs, rigorous coursework and research contribute to success upon graduation, either in a career or graduate school.
Amanda Morgan is a current student who says two things have made for a distinctive experience at UW Bothell.
“The first is the ability to form relationships with professors that is usually not possible at larger universities. Secondly, and equally significant, is the ability to conduct research in a lab as an undergraduate,” said Morgan who plans to become a neurobiology researcher.
A Kirkland student who already had a degree in chemistry from another school said he didn’t really take off academically until he attended UW Bothell where he earned a second bachelor’s degree last year in biology.
“I got into every master’s program I applied to,” said Harkirat Sran, now earning a master’s in biomedical sciences at Rutgers in New Jersey.
Those kinds of outcomes have made UW Bothell familiar to Money magazine.
“Bothell has generally done well in our rankings in part because, according to PayScale, your graduates report earning much higher salaries than competing schools with student bodies reporting equivalent test scores and similar percentages of Pell Grant-eligible students,” said Kim Clark, senior writer.
Money magazine: http://time.com/money/4203233/great-science-colleges-for-good-students/
