Ever since a 1970s study by the National Science Foundation showed that minorities (with the exception of Asian Americans) were vastly underrepresented in engineering, the profession has made efforts to recruit minorities. Various programs now exist to acquaint minority students and their families and teachers with the field as well as to mentor and support minority engineering students. Though the rates of enrollment have shot up, actual numbers of minority engineers are still low.

For more information on programs for minority engineering students, contact:

• National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering »
• ABET’s Minority Introduction to Engineering Program »

For historical information on minorities in engineering,see:

The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences »

Filed under: Explore Engineering