The Tickle College of Engineering graduate online program climbed 14 spots in the overall rankings of the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs, which were released Tuesday.
Driven by the growth in the online master of science in computer science program (MSCS) and continued popularity of the online master’s programs in civil, environmental, and industrial engineering, TCE was ranked 21st among public universities and 28th overall. Last year, TCE ranked 33rd among public institutions and 42nd overall.
The college’s jump is partly attributed to providing students with access to services and technologies—a parameter in which TCE is ranked No. 4 in the nation overall.
In only its third year of existence, TCE’s MSCS program had 175 students enrolled in the fall of 2024, which far exceeded the original enrollment goals of the program.
The college is poised for even more online success in the future following the launch of the doctorate of engineering program in industrial engineering with an engineering management concentration last fall.
“Being in the Top 25 for public online engineering programs is a great recognition, considering the rapid proliferation of online education” said TCE Dean Matthew Mench, the Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the college. “I believe the rapid rise in our rankings is a reflection of both the expansion of high-value programs and our strategic decision to develop only the highest quality programs, with pedagogy designed specifically for the online student.”
Unlike the graduate and undergraduate program rankings that are typically released in spring and fall, respectively, not every discipline within engineering is ranked in the USNWR online edition.
According to USNWR, the Best Online Programs rankings “measure whether online degree programs have academic standards commensurate with quality brick-and-mortar programs that are properly adapted toward the unique pedagogy of distance education.”
For the 2024 edition of the rankings, USNWR assessed 1,752 online degree programs and ranked 1,680 of them. The rankings measure overall academic quality at the baccalaureate and master’s levels across various disciplines. USNWR also produces rankings for the best programs for military veterans and active-duty service members.
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Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, [email protected])