Ranking the Schools
Best Undergraduate
Engineering Programs
Think your future lies in engineering? On these pages, you’ll
find the U.S. News rankings of undergraduate programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology. The rankings are based solely on a peer survey
of deans and senior faculty that asked them to rate each program they are familiar with on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5
(distinguished). On the next page are programs at schools
that offer doctorates, which often means a wider range of of-
BEST PROGRAMS
Rank School (*Public)
1.
1.
3.
4.
5.
5.
7.
7.
9.
9.
11.
11.
11.
11.
11.
16.
At engineering schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s (*Public)
Peer assessment
score (5.0=highest)
Harvey Mudd College (CA)
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)
Cooper Union (NY)
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
United States Military Academy (NY)*
United States Naval Academy (MD)*
Bucknell University (PA)
United States Air Force Acad. (CO)*
Embry Riddle Aeronautical U. (FL)
Villanova University (PA)
Kettering University (MI)
Lafayette College (PA)
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Swarthmore College (PA)
United States Coast Guard Acad. (CT)*
Calif. State Poly. Univ.–Pomona*
SPECIALTIES
4.5
4.5
4.2
4.0
3.9
3.9
3.8
3.8
3.6
3.6
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.3
Embry Riddle Aeronautical U. (FL)
United States Air Force Acad. (CO)*
Embry Riddle Aeronaut. U.–Prescott (AZ)
United States Naval Academy (MD)*
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
16.
16.
16.
20.
20.
20.
20.
20.
25.
25.
25.
25.
25.
25.
31.
31.
Peer assessment
score (5.0=highest)
Rowan University (NJ)*
3.3
San Jose State University (CA)*
3.3
Union College (NY)
3.3
Baylor University (TX)
3.2
Bradley University (IL)
3.2
Embry Riddle Aeronaut. U.–Prescott (AZ) 3.2
Santa Clara University (CA)
3.2
Valparaiso University (IN)
3.2
Gonzaga University (WA)
3.1
Loyola Marymount University (CA)
3.1
Smith College (MA)
3.1
Univ. of Colo.–Colorado Springs*
3.1
University of San Diego
3.1
Virginia Military Institute*
3.1
California State U.–Los Angeles*
3.0
St. Louis University
3.0
COMPUTER ENGINEERING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Rank School (*Public)
31.
31.
31.
31.
31.
38.
38.
38.
38.
38.
38.
38.
38.
38.
Peer assessment
score (5.0=highest)
Trinity University (TX)
U.S. Merchant Marine Acad. (NY)*
University of Michigan–Dearborn*
University of Portland (OR)
Webb Institute (NY)
Boise State University (ID)*
California State U.–Northridge*
The Citadel (SC)*
Manhattan College (NY)
Mercer University (GA)
Miami University–Oxford (OH)*
Northern Arizona University*
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Minnesota–Duluth*
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
INDUSTRIAL/MANUFACTURING
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)
Harvey Mudd College (CA)
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
Cooper Union (NY)
San Jose State University (CA)*
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC/
COMMUNICATIONS
CHEMICAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Rank School (*Public)
At schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s (*Public)
AEROSPACE/AERONAUTICAL/
ASTRONAUTICAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ferings at the undergraduate level. Students who prefer a
program focused on undergraduates can use the list below
of top programs at schools whose terminal degree is the
bachelor’s or master’s. Forty-five percent of those surveyed
returned ratings of the group below; 59 percent did so in the
doctorate group. Respondents were also asked to name the
best programs in specialty areas; the five schools receiving
the most mentions in each category appear here.
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)
Rowan University (NJ)*
Cooper Union (NY)
Bucknell University (PA)
University of Minnesota–Duluth*
1.
2.
3.
3.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
4.
Kettering University (MI)
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
Bradley University (IL)
Milwaukee School of Engineering
San Jose State University (CA)*
MECHANICAL
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)
Cooper Union (NY)
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
Harvey Mudd College (CA)
United States Naval Academy (MD)*
1.
2.
3.
3.
5.
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)
Cooper Union (NY)
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
Kettering University (MI)
Bucknell University (PA)
CIVIL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5.
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN)
United States Military Academy (NY)*
Bucknell University (PA)
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo*
Cooper Union (NY)
Harvey Mudd College (CA)
CB ENG.T2 (1)
KRIS - 2102
NOTE: Peer assessment survey conducted by Synovate. To be ranked in a specialty, a school must have either a program or
course offerings in that subject area. Based on a recommendation from the American Society for Engineering Education, a
few engineering schools with small doctoral programs were added to the bachelor’s and master’s category.
More at www.usnews.com
113
USN&WR • AMERICA’S BEST COLLEGES
1ST PROOF
113
America’s Best Colleges
BEST PROGRAMS
Rank School (*Public)
1.
2.
2.
4.
5.
5.
7.
7.
9.
9.
9.
12.
13.
14.
14.
14.
17.
17.
17.
20.
20.
20.
20.
20.
25.
At engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate (*Public)
Peer assessment
score (5.0=highest)
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Berkeley*
California Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
Cornell University (NY)
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Purdue Univ.–West Lafayette (IN)*
University of Texas–Austin*
Princeton University (NJ)
Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison*
Johns Hopkins University (MD)
Northwestern University (IL)
Virginia Tech*
Pennsylvania State U.–Univ. Park*
Rice University (TX)
Texas A&M Univ.–College Station*
Columbia University (NY)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY)
Univ. of California–Los Angeles*
Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities*
University of Washington*
Duke University (NC)
SPECIALTIES
4.9
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.4
4.4
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.1
4.0
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.6
25.
25.
25.
29.
29.
29.
29.
33.
33.
33.
33.
37.
37.
37.
37.
37.
37.
43.
43.
43.
43.
43.
48.
48.
48.
Peer assessment
score (5.0=highest)
Ohio State University–Columbus*
3.6
Univ. of California–San Diego*
3.6
Univ. of Maryland–College Park*
3.6
North Carolina State U.–Raleigh*
3.5
University of Florida*
3.5
University of Pennsylvania
3.5
Univ. of Southern California
3.5
Harvard University (MA)
3.4
University of California–Davis*
3.4
University of Colorado–Boulder*
3.4
University of Virginia*
3.4
Arizona State University*
3.3
3.3
Case Western Reserve Univ. (OH)
Iowa State University*
3.3
Lehigh University (PA)
3.3
Univ. of California–Santa Barbara*
3.3
Yale University (CT)
3.3
Brown University (RI)
3.2
Michigan State University*
3.2
University of Notre Dame (IN)
3.2
Vanderbilt University (TN)
3.2
Washington University in St. Louis
3.2
Dartmouth College (NH)
3.1
Rutgers, the St. U. of N.J.–New Brunswick* 3.1
University of Arizona*
3.1
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology*
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
Stanford University (CA)
California Institute of Technology
CIVIL
1.
1.
3.
4.
5.
University of California–Berkeley*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
Stanford University (CA)
Georgia Institute of Technology*
COMPUTER ENGINEERING
AGRICULTURAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
4.
4.
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
Iowa State University*
Cornell University (NY)
Purdue Univ.–West Lafayette (IN)*
Texas A&M Univ.–College Station*
University of California–Davis*
BIOMEDICAL/BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Johns Hopkins University (MD)
Duke University (NC)
Georgia Institute of Technology*
Univ. of California–San Diego*
University of Pennsylvania
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
University of California–Berkeley*
Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities*
Stanford University (CA)
Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison*
114
USN&WR • AMERICA’S BEST COLLEGES
CB ENG.T2 (2)
1.
2.
2.
4.
5.
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Berkeley*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC/
COMMUNICATIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
University of California–Berkeley*
Stanford University (CA)
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
ENGINEERING SCIENCE/
ENGINEERING PHYSICS
CHEMICAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Rank School (*Public)
48.
52.
52.
52.
52.
52.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
57.
70.
70.
70.
70.
70.
70.
Peer assessment
score (5.0=highest)
University of California–Irvine*
Colorado School of Mines*
University of Delaware*
Univ. of Massachusetts–Amherst*
University of Missouri–Rolla*
University of Pittsburgh*
Auburn University (AL)*
Boston University
Clemson University (SC)*
Colorado State University*
Drexel University (PA)
Illinois Institute of Technology
Northeastern University (MA)
Tufts University (MA)
University at Buffalo–SUNY*
University of Illinois–Chicago*
University of Iowa*
University of Tennessee*
Worcester Polytechnic Inst. (MA)
Kansas State University*
Michigan Technological University*
Rochester Inst. of Technology (NY)
SUNY–Stony Brook*
University of Utah*
Washington State University*
At schools whose highest degree is a doctorate (*Public)
AEROSPACE/AERONAUTICAL/
ASTRONAUTICAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Rank School (*Public)
KRIS - 2102
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cornell University (NY)
University of California–Berkeley*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
California Institute of Technology
Pennsylvania State U.–University Park*
5. Princeton University (NJ)
5. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
ENVIRONMENTAL/
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
1.
2.
3.
3.
5.
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Berkeley*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
INDUSTRIAL/MANUFACTURING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Georgia Institute of Technology*
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
Purdue Univ.–West Lafayette (IN)*
Pennsylvania State U.–University Park*
University of California–Berkeley*
MATERIALS
1.
2.
3.
3.
5.
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Berkeley*
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
MECHANICAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
Stanford University (CA)
University of California–Berkeley*
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor*
U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign*
More at www.usnews.com
114
1ST PROOF
3.1
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8