7 best colleges for STEM jobs

STEM resource center rates the best postsecondary institutions for preparing students for successful STEM careers

Victory Media, creator of STEM Jobs(SM) education, career and media resources for students interested in STEM careers, announced their list of 2015 STEM Jobs Approved Colleges.

The inaugural list is the first of its kind to rate universities, colleges, community colleges and trade schools on their responsiveness and relevance to high-demand, high-growth STEM occupations.

Over 1,600 colleges participated in the STEM Jobs ratings process, and were scored on publicly available data and responses to proprietary survey questions around three key indicators of success: 1) program alignment to job demand; 2) job placement after graduation; and 3) diversity in a school’s STEM programs.

“With the list of STEM Jobs Approved Colleges–plus our Employers list, to be released in early 2015–we’re able to help students, parents and guidance counselors evaluate how well education is translating into real-world jobs, and how responsive institutions are to meeting those demands,” said Daniel Nichols, president of STEM Jobs. “Considering the skyrocketing cost to attend a four-year college is in excess of $100,000, and that we’re facing a shortage of STEM-qualified job applicants nationwide, every parent needs transparent data to help them and their child find the school right for her.

“Plus, students need reliable information not only for four-year degrees, but for two-year degrees and certificate-programs that will prepare them for high-paying STEM careers,” he continued.

The STEM Jobs Approved Colleges ratings are based on what the company says are rigorous quantitative assessment that measures colleges on criteria created with the assistance of an independent Academic Advisory Board. A complete description of the methodology is available here.

“STEM Jobs(SM) helps answer the age-old question every student asks, ‘when am I ever going to use this?’ with engaging and relevant content, entertaining graphics, informative tools, and the powerful message to ‘Do What You Love’,” said Nichols.

(Next page: The 7 best colleges for STEM)