Engineering School Rankings

The ranking of universities and colleges in the US, including undergraduate engineering schools, has generated an entire industry. Publications and organizations such as Student's Review of Top Engineering Schools, World Science & Engineering Top Engineering Schools, The Princeton Review, The Washington Monthly and US News & World Report regularly publish general and specialty rankings designed to identify the "best" graduate and undergraduate schools and programs according to quality and value. Smaller programs may have their own, specific rankings, (such as, in the case of engineering, Small Times magazine) or rankings may be focused globally, such as in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) based in Shanghai, China.

However, each publication will use its own criteria for its own rankings. Some (like the Gourman Report), controversially refuse to disclose methodology. How can an international student make use of this information?

To begin with, reports generally provide detailed data to support their conclusions; while data collection may be criticized, the editors of these reports usually make an effort to ensure they use comparable statistics. As such, an international student may use the data itself to compare the schools on particular merits.

Additionally, these statistics may provide you as an international student with food for thought. For instance, you may find that a high percentage of those students who participate in a co-op experience go to the eastern part of the US. You might want to investigate during a school visit why few students go to this the western half of the country.

Finally, all rankings share a final characteristic: they provide a list of institutions and schools. Scanning the list might suggest an engineering school that you had not considered or perhaps even heard of. Used this way, the rankings can help expand your list of schools that interest you, widening your options.

However, you should never judge based on engineering school rankings alone. Engineering school rankings are important, they are only one factor among many. Schools that are less prominent may have a program that suits your needs better than any nationally ranked schools. You may find that certain areas in the US seem more like home than others, or you may wish to choose a school close to family or friends in the US. Once you have accumulated this information, you can create your own engineering school rankings.