Civil Engineering and Engineering Enrollments—1983

Abstract

A declining undergraduate enrollment in civil engineering is shown both in terms of absolute numbers and as a percentage of all engineering undergraduates. The decline also appears among women and black undergraduate civil engineering students. Increasing graduate enrollments in civil engineering occur at both the master's and doctoral levels. Comparisons are made at all educational levels among civil, electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering enrollments. The largest civil engineering enrollments at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels are listed for U.S. universities. Historical comparisons are made from 1968 to 1983. The statistics were extracted from the annual reports on engineering enrollments of the Engineering Manpower Commission of the American Association of Engineering Societies. The statistics on women and minorities in civil engineering have been kept since 1977, and are presented here. The possible reasons for the decreases and increases in civil engineering enrollments, and interpretations of how the status quo might be changed are listed.