Field trips can be hectic to plan. Whoever is in charge must arrange transportation, create an itinerary, and book tours. Despite this, Edutopia says that field trips are worth the effort because they enable students to learn outside the classroom and even figure out what career they want to pursue. Exposing students to different environments keeps them open-minded and provides them with opportunities to know more about themselves.
These benefits can be especially useful for STEM students deciding which university to attend or what career path they want to take. If you’re planning a field trip, here are the top STEM universities you can have your students visit.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This university is one of the most prestigious in the world. As its name implies, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers engineering, physical sciences, and mathematics programs. Some of its most popular majors are computer science, bioengineering, and aerospace.
MIT is the perfect school for STEM students who wish to be taught by world-class professors and become experts in their fields. The university offers three-hour classroom visits where primary and secondary school students can participate in science and engineering-related activities. There’s no fee, but you must book your trip in advance.
Stanford University
Stanford University is among the largest universities in the US, attracting a 17,000-strong student body thanks to the quality of education it provides. It offers several great undergraduate programs, but some of the best for STEM students are data science, environmental systems engineering, and biophysics.
This university is included in Studocu’s world university rankings for 2023, where users placed it among the top institutions in America due to the quality of its courses, its academic reputation, and the job opportunities it provides students after graduation. Thanks to popular public support for the learning experiences at Stanford, you can rest assured that visiting will benefit your students. Email the university a request form to avail of the tours it offers high schoolers and prospective students.
Princeton University
Being part of the Ivy League immediately places Princeton University among the best STEM universities your students can visit. US News and World Report’s best colleges rankings consider it the top national university based on its academic quality, graduation and retention rates, and undergraduate academic reputation. Aside from this, students can benefit from Princeton’s selection of STEM courses, including applied and computational mathematics, civil and environmental engineering, and molecular biology.
Princeton’s Office of Admission holds general 2-hour campus tours throughout the year that you can join b signing up on their website. For students geared toward engineering, the School of Engineering and Applied Science offers tours of the quad, which can be conducted in-person, self-led, or virtually.
Purdue University
Purdue University is well-known for being a great engineering school, though it also offers programs in fields like crop science, aviation management, and data analytics. These alone show how Purdue is an excellent choice for a STEM field trip.
Purdue permits multiple visit opportunities—including daily and full-day visits—which you can book by registering through their site. Moreover, our post “6 Summer STEM Camps at Midwestern Colleges” shares that they hold three camps for high school students: the Engineering Summer Experience, Introduction to Engineering Design, and an engineering workshop where students design and build robots. These activities make Purdue an even better destination for a STEM field trip.
Visiting these top STEM universities helps students decide on their future education and career options. Register or make reservations before you visit for a seamless and hassle-free experience.
