U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Virginia Tech College of Engineering No. 13 among national engineering programs in the annual Best College Rankings. The college moved up one spot from last year, behind Princeton University, according to the report.

“The survey validates that our peers continue to recognize the quality of our undergraduate programs,” said Julia M. Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering. “Our college is known for its strong theoretical and fundamental foundation combined with hands-on learning. From internships, co-ops, study abroad, to participation on competitive design teams, experiential learning is a focus of Virginia Tech engineering.”

Engineering undergraduate programs within the college also earned top 10 placement, including the industrial and systems engineering program up two spots to No. 6 and the biological and systems engineering, civil engineering, and environmental engineering programs, all ranked No. 9.

“We continue to be sought after by the best and brightest future engineers, seeing a 20 percent increase in applications this year,” said Ross. “The college is poised to fulfill our land-grant mission and responsibility to fuel the pipeline of a globally astute, diverse workforce and academic leaders. It all starts with shaping young minds.”

At a glance, the incoming fall 2018 first-year engineering student has an average high school GPA of 4.2 and SAT of 1358. Serving approximately 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the college offers a myriad learning opportunities, with 14 undergraduate degree-granting engineering majors, 16 doctoral, and 19 master's programs in 17 areas of study.

Historically, Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, the fifth largest provider of engineering graduates in the nation, has been ranked as a top 20 program that offers a doctorate degree for the past two decades.

The U.S. News & World Report survey has been published annually since 1983 and is based on a number of criteria, including peer assessment, retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rates, and alumni giving.  

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