The Tickle College of Engineering rose eight spots in the U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of online master’s engineering programs that was released today, climbing to a tie at 21st among all institutions in the 2021 listings, 17th among public schools.

“I am happy to learn that our online offerings in engineering continue to rise in the rankings,” said Janis Terpenny, Dean and Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the Tickle College of Engineering. “Our aim is to increase our online offerings significantly in the near term, making our high quality education available to evermore learners, whether they are seeking undergraduate or graduate degrees, certificates, or other professional development opportunities.”

For engineering, U.S. News determines rankings based on the following data:

• Engagement, both from students and with the responsiveness of faculty (25 percent);
• The academic credentials of those serving as online instructors, as well as their ability to use resources (25 percent);
• Results of a survey gathering the opinion of the various schools’ programs, as compiled based on the views of academic officials from around the country (25 percent);
• The amount of technology, support, and services available to students, including financial aid, career planning, and flexibility in learning options (12.5 percent); and
• The accomplishments, status, and success of students who have gone through the program, as well as how the classwork translates into legitimate career opportunities (12.5 percent).

Unlike the graduate and undergraduate program rankings, which typically come out in March and September, respectively, not every discipline within engineering is ranked in the online edition.

Civil, electrical, industrial, management, and mechanical engineering were the five areas of study calculated in the online rankings, with each school responding to the survey being asked to list up to 15 schools that they thought excelled in each area, with listed schools having the requirement of appearing on at least five such lists, in addition to making the overall rankings.