Engineering Persistence: Past, Present, and Future Factors and Gender Differences

This research examined past, present, and future factors that might be related to persistence in engineering for women and men. Students currently or formerly enrolled in an undergraduate engineering program completed the Engineering Career Survey which assessed factors included in general models of college student change (e.g., background characteristics, interactions with socializing agents). Results indicated that: (1) present factors were more important than past or future factors in distinguishing between engineering persisters and nonpersisters, (2) few factors distinguished between women and men who persisted, or between women and men who did not, and (3) the best predictor of engineering persistence for both sexes was grade point average, although subsequent predictors depended on gender. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.