If your college is like a number of institutions across the U.S., you’re seeing a rising interest in climate change and renewable energy among undergraduates.

For the first time in a long while, students are flocking to science and engineering courses.

It’s a trend worth noting: It’s no secret the U.S. is in desperate need of people pursuing clean energy careers.

Countries such as China and South Korea have been building up their graduate engineering programs, while the U.S. saw its enrollment in programs drop 5% from 2003 to 2005.

And  here’s another inescapable fact: Foreign students currently account for more than half the graduates in science programs. Yet once they’ve graduated, more and more are leaving the U.S.

Why? They’re getting better job offers from their home country.

For the U.S. to step up its efforts in renewable energy research, students need to continue enrolling in science and engineering programs at the graduate level. And the other part of the equation is keeping students here once they’ve earned those degrees.

With the environment being such a hot topic after the recent presidential election, this seems like a reachable goal.

Is your school seeing a rise in enrollment in science and engineering courses? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tags: engineering, Enrollment, renewable energy, science