Producing more graduates with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees is crucial to keeping our country competitive globally. Not to mention, graduates with such degrees can look forward to a rewarding career. According to Payscale.com’s 2010-2011 College Salary Report, the majors with the highest starting and mid-career salaries are nearly all STEM degrees. But unfortunately, the pool of available minority graduates for these industries is limited. In 2006, 8.3 percent of blacks received a bachelor’s degree in science and engineering; 6.6 percent received a master’s degree and 2.5 percent received a doctoral degree, according to the National Science Foundation. Forbes recently compiled a list of the best colleges for minorities in STEM. To compile their list, Forbes excluded schools where the student body is almost entirely minority and looked at schools’ graduation rate of minority students who received their degrees in STEM. Here’s a look at some of those colleges and some brief facts about them, as provided by US News & World Report:
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Science completion degrees, certificates, master degrees, education specialist degree and two doctoral degrees—based on a career-orientated curriculum—are all offered at this institution. In addition, there is the option of being enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate and certificate program at locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nairobi, Kenya; and Jamaica.
Tuition and Fees: $26,090
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Known for its focus on scientific and technological research, MIT offers strong programs in biology, chemistry, earth science, physics and mathematics. Among their graduate schools is the highly ranked School of Engineering.
Tuition and Fees: $39,212
University of Miami
UM is a major research university that is engaged in more than $326 million in research and sponsored program expenditures a year. Dozens of studies are conducted in several areas, including marine science and engineering.
Tuition and Fees: $37,836
Davidson College
Davidson, located 19 miles north of Charlotte, N.C., is among the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges. Students have the opportunity to work closely with professors, which brings in an unusually high number of students into graduate-level research and publishing. Nearly 70 percent of students study abroad for credit.
Tuition and Fees: $36,683
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern is classified as a Doctoral/Research University and their academic programs are organized into eight colleges, including Information Technology, Health and Human Sciences and the Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology.
In-state tuition and fees: $6,240; Out-of-state tuition and fees: $18,216
Tulane University
Tulane, located in the heart of historic New Orleans, offers undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees in science and engineering, among other programs, and is in the midst of building an International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research for West and Central Africa with funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Tuition and Fees: $41,884
California State University-Chico
California State, Chico has a distinguished record of placing its students with Fortune 500 companies upon graduation. Noted majors include mechatronics, exercise physiology, and business information systems.
In-state tuition and fees: $6,296; Out-of-state tuition and fees: $17,456
Christopher Newport University
Here, students are offered the chance to participate in regional and national research, and collaborate with faculty on “cutting-edge scholarly pursuits.” The University, located in Newport News, VA, is in the process of constructing an $84 million integrated science center.
In-state tuition and fees: $9,250; Out-of-state tuition and fees: $17,632
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech is on its way to becoming the state’s next national research university. They offer the benefits of a major research university, yet retain the feel of a homely liberal arts institution. Students enjoy one-on-one interactions with faculty. Texas Tech shares its campus with its sister university, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
In-state tuition and fees: $6,392; Out-of-state tuition and fees: $15,512
University of Colorado-Denver
Engineering is one of many programs that Colorado boasts about and basic science and applied health research attracts more National Institutes of Health funding than any other university in the state.
In-state tuition and fees: $6,657; Out-of-state tuition and fees: $19,689
