Engineering Program Rankings

Two sets of engineering program rankings are included herein as applicable:

• Largest Program Ranking: Noted for schools which have the largest engineering programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels (as measured by the number of engineering degrees the school awards, as reported on an annual basis by the American Society for Engineering Education - ASEE). Specifically, the 50 largest programs at the undergraduate level are noted, while the 30 largest at both the graduate (master's level) and graduate (doctorate level) are also noted.

• US News Ranking: As part of its overall annual ranking of colleges, the news magazine U.S. News and World Report (US News) ranks schools' engineering programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These rankings are noted herein in select cases, namely for schools that rank within the Top 50 considering either their undergraduate or graduate engineering program as a whole and/or ranking within the Top 20 at the graduate level for specific engineering disciplines (for example, in mechanical engineering).

With regard to the Largest Program Rankings, the educational significance of larger programs is that, by their large nature, they tend to have a wider variety of academic offerings and opportunities for students compared to smaller programs. At the same time, however, their large nature can result in a more impersonal education when compared to smaller schools. Students are therefore advised to consider such trade-offs when evaluating schools.

With regard to the US News Rankings, please note that access to the full rankings, along with ranking details and supporting materials, plus other supplemental information, can be obtained through US News via its website at www.usnews.com/sections/rankings. (A short summary of the ranking methodology employed is given below.)

Please also note that while the US News rankings can be used as a tool to help you compare and select schools, it should not be used (and is not intended to be used) as the sole criteria in selecting a college/graduate program.

US News Ranking Methodology (summary description; see www.usnews.com/sections/rankings for details)

Overall rankings of undergraduate engineering programs are based solely on a survey of engineering deans and senior faculty who are asked to rate each program they are familiar with on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). U.S. News produces two separate rankings: One for schools that offer doctoral degrees in engineering and one for schools whose terminal degree in engineering is a bachelor's or master's. This separation of schools is done in recognition of the fact that research at the graduate level often influences the undergraduate curriculum, and schools that have doctoral programs tend to offer the widest possible range of offerings.

Overall rankings of graduate engineering programs are based on the weighed average of the following 10 indicators (more detailed information on the exact methodology employed can be found at www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/about/index_brief.php):

Quality Assessment (weighted by 0.40), consisting of:

Peer Assessment Score (0.25)

Recruiter Assessment Score (0.15)

Student Selectively (weighted by 0.10), consisting of:

Mean GRE Quantitative Score (0.0675)

Acceptance Rate (0.0325)

Faculty Resources (weighted by 0.25), consisting of:

Doctoral Student-to-Faculty Ratio (0.075)

Master's Student-to-Faculty Ratio (0.0375)

Percent of Faculty that are Members of the National Academy of Engineering (0.075)

Doctoral Degrees Awarded (0.0625)

Research Activity (weighted by 0.25), consisting of:

Total Research Expenditures (0.15)

Average Research Expenditures Per Faculty Member (0.10)

Rankings of discipline-specific graduate engineering programs (e.g., civil engineering) are based solely on a survey of department heads in each discipline surveyed, who are asked to rate each program they are familiar with on a 5-point (1 to 5) scale. Only schools that offer a doctoral degree in the specific engineering discipline are included in the survey and subsequent ranking. The following 12 specific disciplines were evaluated:

Aerospace Engineering

Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

Materials Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering