The graduate program at the Cockrell School of Engineering advanced to eighth in this year's U.S. News and World Report ranking, making it the highest ranking since 1995 that the school has held in the publication's annual assessment of approximately 200 engineering graduate programs in the nation.
The school's graduate program also ranked fourth among all public engineering schools offering doctoral degrees. Last year, the program ranked ninth overall and fifth among public institutions.
"I'm proud of the continued successes of our engineering graduate program and I'm glad to see that this year's ranking reflects the hard work and dedication of our exceptional faculty and students," said Cockrell School of Engineering Dean Gregory L. Fenves. "Our graduate program is the cornerstone of engineering education at the Cockrell School because it provides our students with the highest quality education at the forefront of technology. Undergraduate students, in particular, have the opportunity to work with leaders in engineering, which inspire them in their career development or to pursue advanced degrees."
The rankings are based on entrance exam scores, student acceptance rates, faculty/student ratios, research expenditures, reputation among engineers in industry and academia, the number of Ph.D.s produced, and the percentage of faculty elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering.
More than 2,245 students are enrolled in the Cockrell School's 13 graduate degree programs, where they work side-by-side with world renowned faculty. The school's 25 research centers and affiliated research units also provide opportunities to conduct discipline-specific as well as collaborative and interdisciplinary research.
Faculty at the Cockrell School constitute the fourth highest membership in the esteemed National Academy of Engineering, the nation's highest honor for engineers. And since 2000, 46 junior faculty have received the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development award. In 2010, research expenditures for the school totaled $151.6 million.
Highlights of the 2012 edition of Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News Media Group will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition book, available April 5, and includes detailed statistical information on more than 1,200 programs nationwide.
For more information about Best Graduate Schools, and to learn about the methodology and data research, visit the U.S. News and World Report Web site.
