Methodology: Engineering Program Rankings

Programs at 198 engineering schools that grant doctoral degrees were surveyed; 194 responded. Data were collected in fall 2011 and early 2012. Rankings for 194 schools that provided the data needed were calculated based on a weighted average of the 10 indicators described below. All schools are listed in the online directory.

[See our Best Engineering Schools rankings.]

Quality assessment (weighted by .40)

Peer assessment score (.25): In the fall of 2011, engineering school deans and deans of graduate studies at engineering schools were asked to rate programs on a scale from marginal (1) to outstanding (5). Those individuals who did not know enough about a school to evaluate it fairly were asked to mark "don't know." A school's score is the average of all the respondents who rated it. Responses of "don't know" counted neither for nor against a school. About 54 percent of those surveyed responded.

Recruiter assessment score (0.15): In the fall of 2011, corporate recruiters and company contacts who hire from previously ranked programs were asked to rate programs on a scale from marginal (1) to outstanding (5). Those individuals who did not know enough about a school to evaluate it fairly were asked to mark "don't know." A school's score is the average of all the respondents who rated it. Responses of "don't know" counted neither for nor against a school. About 17 percent of those surveyed responded. For the purpose of calculating this year's rankings, the two most recent years of recruiters' survey results were averaged and were weighted by 0.15.

Student selectivity (weighted by 0.10)

Mean GRE quantitative scores (0.0675): The mean quantitative score of the Graduate Record Examination for master's and doctoral students entering in the fall of 2011.

Acceptance rate (0.0325): The proportion of applicants to the master's and doctoral programs who were offered admission for fall 2011.

Faculty resources (weighted by 0.25)

Student to faculty ratio: The ratio of full-time doctoral students to full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty (0.075) and full-time master's students to full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty (0.0375) in the fall of 2011.

Percent of faculty in the National Academy of Engineering (0.075): The proportion of full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty who were members of the National Academy of Engineering in the fall of 2011.

Doctoral degrees awarded (0.0625): The total number of doctoral degrees granted in the 2011 school year.

Research activity (weighted by 0.25)

Total Research Expenditures (0.15): The total externally funded engineering research expenditures. These expenditures refer to separately funded research, public and private, conducted by the school and are averaged over the two fiscal years 2010 and 2011. The definition for research expenditures is set by the American Society for Engineering Education.

Average research expenditures per faculty member (0.10): The average amount of externally funded engineering research expenditures per full-time faculty member averaged over the two fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

Overall rank: Data were standardized about their means, and standardized scores were weighted, totaled, and rescaled so that the top-scoring school received 100; others received their percentage of the top score.

Specialty rankings: These rankings are based solely on assessments by department heads in each specialty area. The assessment surveys for the specialty area rankings were conducted in fall 2011. Department heads in their specialty area rated the other schools that offered a doctoral degree in the specialty on a five-point scale. Those schools with the highest average scores appear here. Names of department heads and the names of their respective engineering schools that grant a doctoral degree in that specific area came from the American Society for Engineering Education.