The ratio of students enrolled in most engineering specialized universities show that men surpass women by far. For example, only 33% of the student body at Georgia Tech is women. This might show that female students aren't as smart and capable as males to be enrolled in an engineering major, but recent studies demonstrate that female engineers are as persistent as male engineers.
History shows us that many people think that men are smarter and superior than women. As it is in the case of Higher Education, the fact that the majority of engineers are men causes people to think that men are more capable of achieving this degree. Women have inclined more into other less-demanding careers such as liberal arts. A study made by the Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network shows one possible reason why the ratio is like that causing people to think this way: "Fewer of the female students felt that engineering was the right major for them, and they were less confident about their overall academic abilities than were male students. Female students have less confidence in their abilities in engineering and physics courses and are less likely to ask questions in class than male students do." If females continue believing this, they will continue to be looked as inferior to men.
However, Paul Basken mentions in his article of The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Female Students are just as persistent as men in engineering." This statement is based on a study that demonstrated that women were not dropping out as much as men in engineering majors. This should impulse universities to make a bigger effort in recruiting women into engineering because they are as capable as men.
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