<p>Since there really are no tables or charts for LACs as much as regular colleges, I would really like some suggestions....</p>
<p>Also, for anyone planning to study engineering is it better to go to a regular college as opposed to an LAC? If not What are some gd LACs for engineering?</p>
<p>Thanks for any replies</p>
<p>Most of the top LACs have excellent Economics departments.</p>
<p>Econ is particular strength at Swarthmore. The largest department in terms of majors. And, the schools produces more future Econonmics PhDs per 100 graduates than any other college or university in the country. Other top LACs, such as Williams and Amherst produce high rates of future MBAs, many of whom were Econ majors.</p>
<p>The answer to your question about Engineering is a difficult one. If you are already absolutely sure that you will pursue a career as a working engineer directly out of college, then going to a tech school or a dedicated Engineering School would be the most typical, and probably better, approach.</p>
<p>The few LACs with engineering programs tend to offer engineering majors in the context of a broader education. Compared to dedicated engineering schools, you will graduate with a degree in general engineering instead of a particular specialty (Mech Eng, Chem Eng., etc.). This is probably a negative if you wnat to get hired as an entry level engineer upon graduation. On the flip side, you will get a much stronger education in other areas such as communication skills, critical thinking, etc. that would complement the engineering background nicely if you are thinking about a career that includes business managment in a tech field, more entrepreneurial pursuits, grad school, etc. Engineering at an LAC (or comparable univerity program like Dartmouth's) should be viewed as less "vocational" in nature and more as general preparation for future study, etc. These programs are also an option for students who aren't ready to decide on an engineering career at age 17.</p>
<p>Among the LACs with engineering programs, Swarthmore's is one of the oldest and most rigorous. If you want an overview of the pluses and minus of engineering at an LAC, you might contact the head of the engineering dept there and start asking questions. The following two links provide a starting point.</p>
<p>It's easier to find LACs with good economics programs that it is to find LACs with good engineering programs. In addition to Swarthmore, Trinity College in CT., Lafayette, Trinity U (Texas), and Union College also have both a strong economics departments and a solid engineering programs. </p>
<p>A quick way to identify ACCREDITED engineering programs is to do a search at the American Board of Engineering Training website - <a href="http://www.abet.org%5B/url%5D">www.abet.org</a> - with very few exceptions, you want an accredited engineering program. That might make it easier to identify LACs with accredited programs --- You might als consider some smaller universities where you can get more of the feel of an LAC. Some suggestions of smaller schools with both strong engineering and strong economics departments to look at: Tufts, U of Rochester, Bucknell, Case Western Reserve.</p>
<p>And, finally, you might want to look into the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering near Boston. While you can't major in economics there, they emphasize business and entrepreneurship skills in their engineering programs and have a close relationship with next door neighbor Babson, an excellent business school.</p>
<p>I'm sure other folks will have additional suggestions.</p>
<p>Case western, Trinity college, and Babson are on my list. I do want to go into business but engineering has always been an area of interest and I think it will provide me with great background for many kinds of jobs.</p>
<p>Swarthmore would be a reach for me but if you have any other suggestions about the same selectivity level as Babson which is one of my matches...</p>
<p>For economics, I would suggest Claremont McKenna. As far as general engineering goes, Harvey Mudd is arguably the best LAC there is. However, I do warn you that if you go to Mudd, it will be very hard not to major in a math/science/engineering field. If you are thinking about majoring in poli sci, econ, lit, something else basically, look at the other four Claremont Colleges.</p>
<p>One my my reaches reaches is Brandeis...about 20% chance</p>
<p>A match for me would be along the lines of Babson college...60% chance</p>
<p>My favorite safety is Purdue..75-90% chance</p>
<p>I think I'm going to try double major econ./engineering (biomedical,aerospace, or computer)</p>
<p>Engineering is however more of a preference than a requirement</p>
<p>Any suggestions would be great!</p>
<p>For economics</p>
<ol>
<li>Claremont McKenna</li>
<li>Barnard</li>
<li>Swarthmore</li>
<li>Haverford</li>
<li>Hamilton</li>
<li>Bowdoin</li>
<li>Macalester</li>
<li>Williams</li>
<li>Wellesley</li>
<li>Wesleyan</li>
<li>Pomona</li>
<li>Middlebury</li>
<li>Amherst</li>
<li>Colgate</li>
<li>Denison</li>
</ol>
<p>What about regular colleges (as opposed to liberal arts)?</p>
<p>I know that Penn, Chicago, & NYU have strong econ programs. I don't have a list though like I do for the LACs.</p>
<p>On that LAC econ list I posted, the only one close to Babson's selectivity is Denison.</p>