Large Gain in Women Engineering Students at the University of Southern California

The percentage of women in undergraduate programs in engineering at U.S. colleges and universities hovers around 20 percent. But at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California, women now make up 38 percent of the undergraduate students. Even more impressive is the fact that women make up 44 percent of this year’s entering class.

At the graduate level, there are 1,650 women enrolled in the Viterbi School of Engineering. This is more women graduate engineering students than any other university in the United States.

“We want to change the conversation about engineering,” said Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. “What engineering is, who we are and what engineers look like.”

Louise Yates, Viterbi’s senior associate dean for admission and student affairs, added that “if we’re not going to consider women engineers and underrepresented minority engineers, then we’re going to miss out on a talented population. Students also learn a lot by collaborating, designing and being in class with people who are different from them.”