Engineering in the US – A Common Dream for Many Across The World | United States of America is often referred to as the ‘Land of Opportunities’. Every year, thousands of students across the globe come down to pursue higher education and secure a position in the American Society. There are several factors which draw so many international students to this country. Most of us are aware that USA has one of the biggest education and job markets in the world. The universities offer a wide range of specializations and the options to switch from one discipline to another. Most students from India prefer to go for post graduation courses in the US; but there are many who aspire to pursue a graduation level course from an American University. Most of these aspirants want to pursue engineering in US. A very common question arises in everybody’s mind – ‘Is a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an American University worth the money and effort spent’? It is very difficult to answer this question with a direct ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ since there are various factors to be considered before coming to a definite conclusion.
Let us analyze the few factors which would help us reach a definite conclusion on this question:
Getting into an engineering course:
Getting a seat in a top engineering college is a real challenge with a large number of local and international students competing over a fixed number of seats. Most of the colleges take students on the basis of their SAT scores. The approximate duration of an engineering course in the US is 5 years. After the completion of the engineering course there are plenty of job opportunities in US itself. The fresh eng graduates find ample employment opportunities in the country itself. If you have a degree in engineering from a top American Engineering College, you would be sought after in other countries as well. In Europe, there is a high demand for engineering grads from American colleges. The pay scale for fresher does vary within $50000 to $100000 annually. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the US, engineering jobs are among the highest paid in America. Thus, we can say that an American Engineering Degrees highly rewarding in terms of money and scope. It is recognized globally which makes it more lucrative for students across the world. In simple words, we can say that an American engineering degree is the gateway to a successful professional life.
The financial aspect of the course
The cost of studying in the US is an important deciding factor. There are four types of engineering colleges in the United States.
• Public 2 year colleges (Average annual cost $11052)
• Public four—year colleges (Average annual cost $18943)
• Public four year colleges (Average annual cost $32762)
• Private non profit 4 year colleges (Average annual cost $42419)
Funding available for the students
Generally, more than 85% of undergraduate students in the US receive some form of financial aid during their tenure. The financial support comes mainly through grants, scholarships, work study schemes and assistantships. The percentage of funding is higher for graduate students and doctoral candidates.
Studying engineering in the United States is an opportunity which only a handful of students get. Financial background, academics, SAT scores are some of the factors which decide an aspirants chances of getting into a good engineering college in the United States.