Solving the engineering pipeline challenge revised, validated and cost optimized

Abstract

This paper revisits a hypothesized solution to the well-documented United States engineer pipeline challenge [1] and revises the solution based on another year's data which further validates the approach proposed. The solution proposed was revised based on three years of summer bridge program data to minimize the cost for solving this national challenge. The previous solution drew from the population of high school graduates with Math ACT scores from 17 to 25 inclusive. We have modified the approach to only use the population of high school graduates with Math ACT scores from 20-25 inclusive; eliminating the 17/18/19 ACT score group because, after three years of performance data from the summer engineering enhancement (bridge) program for first time freshmen, it was demonstrated that the first and second year retention rate for engineering majors in the 20-25 ACT group was nearly twice that of the 17/18/19 group. The analysis of graduation data was stratified into four groups; those with ACT Math scores of (1) 26 and higher, (2) 20-25 inclusive, (3) 17/18/19 and (4) those 16 and below. Graduation rates in an engineering major for these four groups (nearly 300 graduates over a seven year period) were 56%, 32%, 20%, and 10%, respectively. This finding coupled with first and second year retention rates for the summer cohorts of 2009 and 2010 led us to the conclusion that a significant increase in engineer graduates could be most economically achieved by implementing summer bridge programs and awarding engineering scholarships to the population of high school graduates with ACT Math scores (or SAT equivalent) from 20-25 inclusive. The above findings indicate that the United States could relatively easily and economically solve our engineering pipeline challenge with a national program of awarding scholarships to this student population at all ABET accredited public universities and can achieve a national graduation rate equal or exceeding the current national average. Cost analyses are shown for increasing the number of engineer graduates by 10%, 20%, and 40% from the 78,347 graduates in 2010. This paper shows the supply of potential engineering majors is plentiful, the target retention and graduation rates are achievable and the cost is reasonable. Additionally, since Hispanic and African American minorities have lower average ACT scores than Caucasians, the proportion of these minorities that become engineers from the proposed program is expected to be larger than that of current graduating classes of engineers. This solution can be implemented immediately and is projected to be cost neutral to the US taxpayer because of additional federal and state taxes paid by the new engineers relative to those taxes they would have paid (in some other profession) without this program. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.