Discover the Top-Ranked Engineering Programs at Colorado School of Mines

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SUMMARY

The Colorado School of Mines (CSM) is recognized as a top-tier institution for engineering, particularly in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. Graduates from CSM often secure high starting salaries and are admitted to prestigious graduate programs. While the school's reputation is strong, particularly within Colorado, some students express concerns about the rigorous curriculum and potential biases from older faculty members. Physics is noted as a challenging course that may serve as a "weed out" class for incoming students.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of engineering disciplines, particularly Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
  • Familiarity with academic rigor and its impact on employability
  • Awareness of gender dynamics in engineering education
  • Knowledge of transfer credit policies in higher education
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the curriculum and course offerings for Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at CSM
  • Explore the impact of faculty demographics on student experiences in engineering programs
  • Investigate the transfer credit process at CSM, focusing on courses like Physics and General Chemistry
  • Examine the employment outcomes and graduate school placements of CSM alumni
USEFUL FOR

Prospective students considering engineering at CSM, current students seeking insights on academic life, and educators interested in the dynamics of engineering education.

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I'm heading out to CSM for the fall semester, and I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about the school. I've done some research and I know the "party line", but I'd really like to hear what people on PF think about the school, or it's reputation. I'm planning to go into either Chemical or Petroleum Engineering.

Thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
When I was researching schools (way back when I was looking for a university to attend), I had the impression CSM was a top-notch, highly competitive school. It's been so many years I don't remember how I got that impression, but to this day I regard it as an excellent engineering school.
 
They posted this http://www.mines.edu/Mines-ranks-No.-1-among-public-universities-for-graduates-starting-salaries" a year ago. Considering that basically all of their graduates are engineers (compare to other public school), I think the data is skewed/misleading but it's nice to think about if you are a student.

I know that they send some of their graduates to top tier graduate schools, not sure if that means anything, although it at least stands as a possibility if you are considering graduate school. And within Colorado, almost everyone holds the school in high regards so that's also nice if you are a student.
 
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Thanks lisab and pekopeko!

I was just curious how people perceived the school. Pekopeko, that's good to know about CSM's reputation within Colorado.

I know Colorado School of Mines is an excellent school and it's rankings, etc., but I know very little from people who are students (or graduates) about what life is actually like there. I took a campus tour, but that is merely a "censored" view of the campus. The negatives and annoyances aren't talked about.
 
I have a friend (female) who graduated from there years ago (maybe a decade or so?). She said that it was definitely a very rigorous education but it made her very employable. I was considering going there, but I don't want to be an engineer and that seems to be their primary focus. She warned me that some of the professors were rather on the old side and could be biased against the girls in the class. I would hope that such attitudes have changed in the intervening years, but I guess it is something to be aware of, especially if you are a female. If you aren't, be sure to support the girls! They are smart too, dangit! :) Oh, and I heard that Physics was one of their weed out courses, so you might consider taking it somewhere else and transferring in with it...or at least plan to stick it out and work hard!

That's about what I know about it. It is definitely an excellent, top school. If my plan had been to be an engineer, I would have applied there in a heartbeat (especially since I live in Colorado). It also has a great location near the mountains.
 
Girlygeek said:
I have a friend (female) who graduated from there years ago (maybe a decade or so?). She said that it was definitely a very rigorous education but it made her very employable. I was considering going there, but I don't want to be an engineer and that seems to be their primary focus. She warned me that some of the professors were rather on the old side and could be biased against the girls in the class. I would hope that such attitudes have changed in the intervening years, but I guess it is something to be aware of, especially if you are a female. If you aren't, be sure to support the girls! They are smart too, dangit! :) Oh, and I heard that Physics was one of their weed out courses, so you might consider taking it somewhere else and transferring in with it...or at least plan to stick it out and work hard!

That's about what I know about it. It is definitely an excellent, top school. If my plan had been to be an engineer, I would have applied there in a heartbeat (especially since I live in Colorado). It also has a great location near the mountains.

Thanks for sharing, that's exactly what I was looking for!
I'm a boy, so it's always good to hear from the other side :biggrin:...
That's interesting about the Physics courses. I had heard somewhere they were ranked pretty high in the nation. Hopefully they'll take the transfer credit...
 
I know they took transfer credit from the local community college (Front Range) because I have a couple of friends from my calculus class that were transferring over to CSM. Physics (calc-based), General Chemistry (I&II) and Calculus (I, II, and III) were some of the classes I know one girl was transferring over. Hopefully you won't have a problem. Good luck!
 

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