Two new Engineering degree programs — aerospace engineering and industrial engineering — broke into the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Graduate Schools Rankings released today, April 7, 2026.
The George W. Gillemot Aerospace Engineering program, ranked 63, launched in fall 2025, graduating its first PhD candidate, Jessica Peterson, in December. The industrial engineering program, ranked 88, debuted in fall 2024.
Both programs offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
“These rankings reflect the strength and momentum of our graduate programs and the faculty and students who bring them to life,” Tom Weller, Engineering dean, said. “They also motivate us to keep raising the bar in the quality of education, research and opportunities we provide.”
The department rankings are based on expert judgement, according to U.S. News, and provide a broad snapshot of programs.
Two Engineering programs that consistently appear in the top 100 are civil engineering, ranked at 61 this year, and environmental engineering, ranked at 65. Civil engineering is one of Engineering’s foundational and continuously running programs.
Engineering offers 12 graduate degrees, including a robotics master’s degree, first offered in fall 2025.
