Do most engineering majors go to grad school

[Anonymous]

DD is a junior interested in bio or biomedical engineering. I see a lot of posts saying “go to state school and save money for grad school”, but do most engineers go to grad school? DD really likes JHU (if she can get in), but wondering if it’s worth the money instead if state school.

[Anonymous]

A lot of engineering students go to grad school after working a few years but it is paid for by their employers.

[Anonymous]

Many, many work straight out of school and don’t necessarily got to grad school. As PP said, engineers usually get grad school paid for by grants or employers.

[Anonymous]

i think most kids with BS degree go straight to work except maybe bio engineering/bio medical engineering. my kid, chemE undergrad went straight to biomedE phd program after BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior interested in bio or biomedical engineering. I see a lot of posts saying “go to state school and save money for grad school”, but do most engineers go to grad school? DD really likes JHU (if she can get in), but wondering if it’s worth the money instead if state school.

You've asked two questions. The answer to both is "no."

[Anonymous]

Disagree with previous poster. An engineer (particularly in structural or civil) doesn’t need a grad degree to make bank. But your daughter should go to the best undergrad she can.

[Anonymous]

Mechanical and civil, no. Biomedical I think might be different.

[Anonymous]

Currently have a kid in BME at JHU. They love it and aren’t sure whether 5th year or med school at this point. From a pure learning/fit aspect absolutely worth it. From a money aspect, I’m not sure. We had the money and it would have eventually been left to kid so we decided to spend it on them now.

[Anonymous]

Every engineer I know save one has gone to grad school.

[Anonymous]

A JMU degree will probably lead to grad school a few years out. That is a general degree and not from an engineering school. It is a fine program, but ideally your kid will work a bit, gain a focus and want the masters.

[Anonymous]

Out of all of the engineering students I know from my top 10 program...maybe half went into engineering as a profession. Out of those, maybe half earned a graduate degree at some point. Handful were in academia.

For the half that did not go into an engineering profession almost all went to grad school / law school / med school.

[Anonymous]

^ and I would send to JHU for undergrad if she can get in.

Many kids get grants for grad school (if staying in engineering). Law / med school not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disagree with previous poster. An engineer (particularly in structural or civil) doesn’t need a grad degree to make bank. But your daughter should go to the best undergrad she can.

This advice is highly questionable, and here's why:

Most engineering students go to work after getting out of college;

Engineering is a quasi-professional occupation, where what you can do is the important thing, not your pedigree. Engineers will demonstrate ability (or lack thereof) in their first jobs; and after one's first job -- whatever one's field -- the name on your diploma is never really considered particularly relevant, or relevant at all.

So, I would agree with a PP who said paying the extra money for an engineering degree at JHU, as opposed to a less expensive state school, is NOT worth it -- and this is particularly true if you need to borrow money to attend JHU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every engineer I know save one has gone to grad school.

Right, but did they go directly from undergrad to grad school?
I’m an engineer and me and everyone else I know who are practicing engineers went to work right after undergrad, and then had our employers pay for masters degrees (often multiple masters).

[Anonymous]

Most don’t.