Engineering grad program among best in U.S.

Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering have moved upward among the ranks of the nation’s leading engineering graduate programs, according to the annual survey by U.S. News & World Report magazine released today.

The report shows ASU’s engineering schools improving in the overall quality of the graduate-level education they offer – ranking 24th nationwide among engineering programs at public universities and 44th overall when private universities are included on the list.

Close to 200 engineering school programs are surveyed for the U.S. News and World Report rankings.

The rankings overall put ASU on par for engineering graduate programs with institutions such as Yale University, Boston University, the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the University of Virginia.

ASU’s engineering graduate program is the only one among all Arizona universities ranked in the top 50 nationwide.

Among those programs, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering have the 16th largest enrollment of graduate students, and is 32nd overall in research expenditures.

Research expenditures are a reflection of the quality and range of research expertise, indicated by the amount of outside investment and support attracted by universities’ researchers.

The research expenditure’s ranking of ASU’s Schools of Engineering is higher than those of the California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton, Harvard, and Duke University.

Dean Deirdre Meldrum attributes the upward trend in stature to a stronger commitment to ASU’s goals of producing successful graduates and benefiting society.

She points to major steps the schools of engineering are taking to promote innovative approaches to education and entrepreneurship, as well as pursuing collaborative research that combines the diverse range of expertise in engineering and science found at the university.

“I’ve never seen faculty, students and staff who are so focused on accomplishing such a challenging mission.” Meldrum said. “I’m proud to be a part of the revolution going on in engineering at ASU.”

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based in part on peer opinion data gathered from questionnaires answered by deans, program directors and senior faculty at engineering schools, as well as surveys of businesses and professionals who hire new graduates.

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering: http://engineering.asu.edu/.

The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University serve more than 4,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students, providing skills and knowledge for shaping careers marked by innovation and societal impact. Ranked nationally in the top 50 engineering schools rated by US News & World Report magazine, the school engages in use-inspired research in a multidisciplinary setting for the benefit of individuals, society and the environment. The school’s 200-plus faculty members teach and pursue research in areas of electrical, chemical, mechanical, aerospace, civil, environmental and sustainable engineering, as well as bioengineering, energy engineering, computer science and engineering, informatics, decision systems, and construction management. The schools of engineering also work in partnership with the School of Arts, Media and Engineering and the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and faculty work collaboratively with the Biodesign Institute at ASU, the School of Sustainability and the Global Institute of Sustainability.