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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFor the second straight year, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has admitted a record number of women.
The Terre Haute university that specializes in science, engineering, and mathematics announced Thursday that the 2016-17 freshman class of 565 incoming students will be 30.6 percent female. Last year, women made up 24 percent of the freshman class.
The enrollment gains are attributed to new efforts to increase female students in science, technology, engineering and math, from a “Future Faces of STEM” marketing campaign to a new student group for students in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering and computer engineering.
“Young women are increasingly aware of the excellent career opportunities and lifestyles afforded by a STEM education,” said Jim Goecker, Rose-Hulman vice president for enrollment and strategic communications. "They also appreciate how STEM professions can make a significant difference in society.”
The university started admitting women back in 1995.
The record class of female students means the university is now performing above the national average for women enrolled in STEM fields at U.S. colleges, according to Valerie Galluzzi, associate professor of computer science and software engineering at Rose-Hulman.
Women received just 19.2 percent of bachelor’s degrees given annually in engineering in 2015, according to the National Science Foundation.
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