Incoming CSE students are most academically prepared in history

Percentage of diverse students also reaches an all-time high

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/27/2018)—A recently released profile of the students in the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE) fall 2018 freshman class shows that the college continues to attract the best and brightest students. The current freshman class is also the most diverse in the college's history.

The average ACT composite score for the 1,152 incoming CSE students increased from 31.7 last year to 31.8 in fall 2018, the highest ever in the college. This is 2.9 points higher than the 28.9 average ACT score for incoming CSE students 10 years ago.

“We are very pleased that we continue to attract top-notch students into our programs,” said Paul Strykowski, CSE associate dean for undergraduate programs. “We think prospective students see that we provide quality classroom instruction as well as research and leadership opportunities to create a comprehensive experience for undergraduate students.”

The incoming class is also more diverse than ever. The number of women first-year students in the college reached an all-time high with 370, which is 32.1 percent of the incoming class. Just 10 years ago, the college had just 200 women first-year students (24.4 percent). The percentage of first-year students of color also reached an all-time high with 20.2 percent of the incoming class (233 students).

“Innovation is driven by diverse points of views and new ways of looking at problems,” Strykowski said. “A more diverse student population is key to building a successful workforce to solve some of our society’s greatest challenges.”

In addition to new freshmen, CSE enrolled 412 new transfer students this fall. Overall, CSE currently has 5,472 undergraduate students and 2,629 graduate students.