The Best Technical Colleges in the US: A Comprehensive Guide to Top Ranked Technical Schools in the US
When looking for a technical college one of the first colleges that would pop into your head might be MIT, and rightfully so. What about other technical colleges? What are the best ones? These top schools all have excellent technical academic programs, offering well rounded educations full of knowledge, challenges, and rewards. According to QS (Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd), the top technical universities were ranked by academics and employer votes among other factors such as, reputation and international faculty/student ratios. Weighing the employer’s perspective gives students a better understanding about these overall college rankings, as employers are the people hiring students after college.
#1: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
It is a no brainer that MIT is considered one of the best technical colleges in the United States. The school is well known, well regarded, and teaches some of the most intelligent students in the United States. In fact, QS also rates MIT as the 5th best school in the World, as of 2010!
If you plan on applying to this school, be sure your records are in tip top shape as only 1 in ten first year applicants actually get into MIT. This school has a freshman class size of about 4,300 undergraduate students, with about a 4 to 1 student to professor ratio! There is no GPA requirement to attend MIT; however, students who get admitted must show a considerable amount of passion and dedication.
# 2: Stanford University
Stanford-Yet another well known school, Stanford is listed as the second best engineering and technical school in the nation by employers. This yet is another great school with tough competition for enrollment. In fact, Stanford has a lower admission rate of 7.6 % in 2009, which is lower than MIT! This college has a student to professor ratio of 7 with about 2,300 first year students in 2009. Students wanting to attend Stanford should also have high academic standing and exercise unique qualities that set them apart from other applicants.
#3: University of California Berkley
UC Berkley- With a much bigger campus and class size, UC Berkley offered admission to almost 13,000 freshman students this year. Although their class size is nearly double that of Stafford and quadruple MIT’s, in an all around perspective, UC Berkley still has a relatively small student to faculty ratio of almost 16 to 1. This higher ratio also means higher admission rates, as UC Berkley accepted 25.6% of their applicants this year. Students wanting to attend UC Berkley should also have high academic standing, and possess qualities that make them stand out compared to other students.
Decisions to Make
If you plan on applying to top technical colleges, be sure to apply to many, as they are highly competitive. It is also to keep other factors in mind when choosing a college. Going to a top college could mean more competitiveness within the school, and a rigorous course load. Here are the other seven universities that made the top ten technical universities according to QS.
4. California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
5. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
7. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
8. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
9. University of Michigan
10. Cornell University
Students should feel at home at the college of their choice, and be sure it is the correct school of choice financially, and emotionally. Whatever you chose, work hard, and try to have some fun!
References
MIT Information: https://web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/202/reif_clay.html
MIT Information: https://web.mit.edu/facts/faqs.html
Stanford Information: https://news.stanford.edu/pr/2009/pr-admit-040109.html