NOVEMBEE 2, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



669 



example, from 1889 to 1899 the increase of 

 civil engineering graduates was 56 per cent., 

 and of mechanical 117 per cent.; while the 

 entire growth in electrical engineering is 

 practically a matter of the past decade. 



Table IV. presents some interesting sta- 

 tistics as to engineering education in com- 

 parison with the so-called three learned 

 professions — theology, medicine and law. 

 The data for the first three columns of 



need of these data was not foreseen when 

 those in the preceding tables were asked 

 for. Farther, the value of a year of high- 

 school study varies greatly even within 

 the limits of a single State, which adds 

 materially to the difiSiculty of making a cor- 

 rect general statement as to the conditions 

 for admission. 



There are several matters in these tables 

 that invite discussion. For example: 1. 



TABLE IV. 

 Peofessional Education in the United States. Data foe 1898- 



Item. 



Number of Schools, 



Growth since 1878, 



Number of Instructors, 



Number of Students, 



Growth since 1878, 



Number of Graduates, 



Requirements for Admission, 



College Degree, 



Completion of Junior Year, 



Completion of Freshman Year,, 



4-yr. High School Course, 



3-yr. " " " 



2-yr. " " " 



1-yr- " " " 



Common " " 



None or Indefinite, 



Total Reported, 



Length of Course, 



4-yr. Course, 



3-yr. Course, 



Less than 3-yr. 



Total Reported, 



Average Length of Yearly Session, 



Table IV. were compiled from Bulletins 7, 

 8 and 9 — ' Professional Education in the 

 United States ' — published by the Univer- 

 sity of the State of Xew York. 



The data in Table IV. concerning the 

 length of high school course required for 

 admission to engineering schools must be 

 regarded as only roughly approximate. It 

 is difiicult for one not acquainted with all 

 the facts to determine from the catalogue 

 just what the requirements are; and the 



* Does not include Dentistry, Pharmacy and Vet- 

 erinary. 



"Why do so few institutions offer instruction 

 in architecture ? — see Table I. "Why so few 

 students in architecture ? — see Table II. 2. 

 The significance of the fact that mote than 

 half of the engineering students are receiv- 

 ing their education in Class A institutions, 

 i. e., those having the highest requirements 

 for admission — ^see Table II. 3. Are the 

 number of graduates more or less than re- 

 quired to fill the ranks of the profession ? 

 4. Is the number of engineering graduates 

 greater or less, in proportion to the de- 

 mands of the profession, than law and med- 



