I have a few daughters looking for science and engineering programs in the next few years. They’re all scared to attend schools in states hostile towards women. I get that. I’m looking for recommendations for schools in states positive towards women that have good STEM programs.
Historically women’s colleges are generally very empowering environments. I live in the southeast, and the ones nearby that come to mind are Salem College, Meredith College, and Hollins University. I think all of these are liberal arts, but Salem has a health leadership focus and is developing a strong STEM program to complement that. From personal experience, Salem provided an excellent experience for me and the other people I know who went there.
I know the SE probably isn’t the location you’re thinking of, but North Carolina has had democratic governors for years and years who are supportive of women’s and lgbtq rights. Larger cities are generally more pleasant than the rural areas. Also the tech, science, and health fields in NC are vibrant and still growing.
Private colleges do come with a higher tuition, but scholarships are available if the students excel in academics and extra-curriculars. If they end up going out of state, the private school tuition wouldn’t be that different than a state school charging out of state tuition. And to note, the private schools I mentioned are nonprofits, so they’re not taking that money and pocketing it. They are held to a specific standard set by the IRS for nonprofits in general, as well as by the accreditation bodies for higher education.
Unfortunately North Carolina’s current abortion law is 12 weeks. That’s unacceptable.
And thus, not amenable to women.
Make sure to set out the financial implications of different states. E.g., the California unis might be good - but you’re also dealing with out of state tuition.
And also look at the pipeline - I was interested in biology, but all of the people in the program were hyper competitive pre-medical students. And who wants to deal with that?
BU is a good bet, sticker price is expensive but the financial aid is pretty decent if you can take advantage. I’d definitely recommend them picking a school somewhere they’d probably want to live after college, as getting employment in the same area you’re going to school is much easier.
What makes a good STEM program is usually dependent on both the student and the exact discipline they want. My university had a great engineering department and great wildlife management program, but good luck to you if you want biochemistry.
Other than that? Just avoid the Neoconfederacy. They’ve even done us all the favor of trying to outlaw abortion, and there are plenty of infographics that can show you the no-go states.
Any of the dozens of unis in California should be fine
Cal Tech
Not sure if it’s implied by I’m assuming you are looking for American schools?
Women go to the same universities as men.
This isn’t like shampoo, where the women’s version is a seperate product.
Take a little time to read the whole question. They’re asking about cities/states where their daughters can feel safe & empowered, as well as the fact that there is a good university, that likely shouldn’t have a “frat bro” culture.
Aren’t women safe in all states?
It’s a bit hard to fathom as a European, so I’d love some knowledge if you’d shareSome states have pretty strict laws regarding abortions.
I assume that this is what the person is referring to.
He only wants to send his daughters to places where they can get abortions? Seems a weird way of picking a college.
He wants to send his daughters to school in a place where they’re not only being valued for their wombs. Where they’re looked at as being equal contributors to their field of study. Where they’re provided opportunities the same as every other scholar there, and not assumed to be in college to find a husband.
And, yes, there is a bit of “if they get into trouble will they have options?” At play I’m sure as well.
Quit being obtuse.
@Nunar@lemmy.world was it abortions you were talking about?
>
Sorry, I should have elaborated.
The laws are strict and would hold doctors liable in some places. There was an instance where a woman needed some pain killer but the doctor wouldn’t prescribe it because it could cause the termination of a fetus.
When the lady told the doctor she wasn’t pregnant, he told her that she could become pregnant.
I know that’s an extreme example, but it is an example.
Another is that abortions in the case of rape might be illegal in some places and traveling out of state to a place where about is legal is also illegal.
It’s also illegal in some places to knowing help a person get to a place where it’s legal to get an abortion.
I’m not in expert in the subject, and the law varies by state so it gets confusing.
My wife and I do not live in the US and don’t plan to return, so we have not followed it closely.
Oh, I think there was also an issue of cops or the government possibly buying the data from period tracking apps, but I’m not sure about that.
States that swing Republican have higher odds of abortions being unsafe
the Islamic State
Think of the US like 50 countries in a trenchcoat, cosplaying as a single country. It’s a crap shoot in a lot of ways.
Not only have many states removed the right to an abortion, some of them are starting to restrict access to abortion care even when failure to provide that care could lead to grave injury such as the loss of organs or fertiity.
While there is a federal law on the books that seems to require this care, a case challenging one such state law was ruled on by SCOTUS over procedural issues and it is not clear yet how the high court will decide on the substance of the issue.
OP never mentioned men. Bit of a slip on your part.
what
The self-report is loud and you’re a really easy mark
I’m sorry you live in a country like that.
Have you considered sending them abroad? I work at a university in Australia and it is actively encouraging female participants in STEM, to break any stereotypes traditional family may have taught them. I think all universities are.like that here.
We are partnered with a university in England and my understanding is they are the same.
You are also able to look at university rankings which cover diversity topics. We have just submitted our data for 2023, so expect new rankings to appear in a few months. Since the data is public, many websites use it for higher education rankings.
Universities with higher female student ratio are probably a safe bet, although fair warning your daughters will statistically have worse matches for a partner.
Source; went to a school of higher women pop, scored a gem.
Jokes aside though, simply aiming for the best school is a safe bet too.
Check out Melbourne University if you live in Victoria.
Buy the “Fiske Guide to Colleges”. It lists hundreds of colleges in the US. You can look up by major, location, price, etc.
It also discusses things like social life, acceptance rate, and amenities.
I have 3 kids that are in or went to college. This was indispensable.
My daughter went to RIT and got a great education with zero harassment issues.
I apologize if this isn’t the kind of comment that you’re looking for…but what’s wrong with the colleges local to you? Do you live in an unsafe area? It makes a hell of a lot more sense to go to a school with in state tuition rather than going across the country to a school with needlessly exorbitantly expensive out of state tuition.
Maybe I was just lucky in the state I grew up in.
University of Michigan. Ann Arbor is a hardcore dem city and in a state with abortion rights protected af
I second Michigan! I live here, and the middle-state cities here are typically full of left-leaning young folks.
The farther north you go, though, the political leanings get worse. Definitely recommend mid & lower Michigan, though.
