Engineering study costly

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 25

Engineering study costly

Engineering students cost the taxpayer almost four times as much annually to put through university as commerce students. A report, prepared by the University of Canterbury, presented’ at the University Council meeting showed that the average cost of one full-time student in engineering for 1984 was $11,646. By comparison, the average cost of educating a fulltime commerce student was $2986. Law students were the next cheapest, costing only s§3oo each.

The other degrees range from $5132 each student for arts, to $9530 for a forestry degree. The large differences in cost were because of the number of staff required in areas such as engineering, said the Vice-Chancellor, Professor A. D. Brownlie. Technical staff were needed also for engineering courses and expensive equipment was involved. . A shortage of staff m the commerce department had caused the low cost there, amount to 85-per

cent ot the cost of running the university. The Pro-Chancellor, Mr Richard Bowron, asked the meeting what had happened to students who had gone through the university. Had they left New Zealand to use’ their degrees overseas? Professor Brownlie said that figures had not been available on how many used their degrees in New Zealand for a number of years. A survev of students immediately after leaving university had shown that 5 per cent intended to go overseas that year.