Small engineering colleges in nature with high acceptance rates

College Search & Selection
1

Hey!

I am looking for a small college in a beautiful natural setting to transfer into to study mechanical engineering! I have a 2.6 gpa so I am looking for schools with high acceptance rates!

With the help of google and the fine posters in this forum, I have discovered some pretty good prospects:

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Michigan Technological University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Colorado School of Mines (reach)

I have found these larger universities that I still consider decent prospects:

Montana State University
University of Wyoming, Laramie
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Utah State University

But I am looking for small schools. Does anyone recommend any good small engineering schools in beautiful settings? Mountains, forests, lakes, and streams are what I desire.

Thank you!

p.s. Much thanks to @merc81 @LakeWashington @ucbalumnus @MYOS1634 and others who have helped me so far!

p.p.s. my current school is top-10 globally if that affects anything. I wasted a good opportunity here and I am just trying to move on to the best school for me

2

Clarkson is what u are looking for, but getting in isn’t easy. Try Northern Arizona & New Mexico State.

3

Oregon Tech, Arkansas Tech, West virginia univ. Institute if Technology

4

What are your test scores, and budget?

-Miami University (Ohio)
-Ohio Northern University
-Purdue University
-Quinnipac University (Not the best school, but you need options.)
-University of Idaho
-University of Oklahoma
-Valparaiso University
-Washington State University

5

I saw the post title and came to recommend Michigan Tech. My brother went there for CS (with significant merit scholarship with 3.3 GPA/33 ACT) in part because he wanted the nature part (and all of the snow).

6

While small by any means, but it’s hard to beat UC Boulder for nature! Plus good engineering.

Also Colorado College - though not an engineering school, it offers a 3+2 program with RPI and Columbia. It’s got the mountains :slight_smile:

7

Colorado College is right in Colorado Springs - definitely more suburban and COS has lots of sprawl now. I also would not recommend a 3+2 program. Few students follow through on it. If you want to be an engineer then go into that right away.

8

Montana Tech
University of Idaho
Northern Arizona University
Idaho State University - Pocatello
New Mexico State University (close to White Sands National Monument)
Oregon Institute of Technology

9

Colorado College had an acceptance rate between 15 and 20% - that’s not an high acceptance rate.

10

Here is a list of engineering schools that offer Mechanical Engineering degrees. Schools that don’t offer Phd’s tend to be smaller. Sizes and acceptance rates are listed.

http://www.findengineeringschools.org/Search/Majors/mechanical.htm

11

You had characterized the University of Alaska, Fairbanks as a larger university. It’s actually pretty small - probably no more than 5,000 attending the Fairbanks campus full-time. The school always exaggerates its numbers by including part-timers and students from satellite campuses in places like Nome and Barrow.

The engineering programs are very good. You’ll get a lot of personal attention from the school and your professors. One downside is that UAF is currently dealing with huge budgetary problems, since the price of oil is so low and the state depends on oil revenues for something like 80% of its budget.

It’s one of those places you either love or hate. I’m an alum and loved it.

12

@moooop cool I’ll check them out asap.

@newjerseygirl98 SAT scores 2200+, 760 math, but I don’t think that’s as relevant for transfer students. My budget is very low, I will have to rely on loans/scholarships mainly… CHEAP schools are what I am looking for (should have specified that actually!) thanks for the list.

@nanotechnology I’ll check out Michigan tech

@insanedreamer UC boulder is actually very appealing! but would be a reach for me

@“Erin’s Dad” I am definitely going straight into engineering. I’ve already taken plenty of unrelated classes.

@whenhen I am below U of Idaho’s minimum GPA for engineering transfer students. I will definitely check out Montana tech though.

@simba9 Interesting to hear all that! Any more info? Why would a student “hate” it? (It sounds like I may love it…)

13

If u want cheap, check out U of South Dakota and south Dakota State. Their out- of- state costs are less than some colleges’ in-state costs.

14

Are you sure UC Boulder would be a reach? They have a pretty high acceptance rate (though I’m not sure about their transfer acceptance rate). But if you want cheap, then probably not.

And yeah, Colorado College is probably not a good idea for you (though while it’s suburban, it does have the mountains right there).

15

Embry-Riddle Prescott (my own alma mater) sounds like an excellent fit to be honest.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions about the school.

16

I suspect it’s mostly because they feel Fairbanks is too isolated.

17

@moooop for sure I will.

@insanedreamer Pretty sure. My academic record is… “non-traditional…”

@fractalmstr I do have questions, will message.

@simba9 As long as there are some basic engineering clubs, some pickup basketball to be played, some girls here and there, and some good food, I am happy.

18

Sorry I mentioned U of S. Dakota…I now realize they don’t have much in the way of engineering; but South Dakota State does, and it’s a real bargain for an out-of-state person.