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Georgia Tech’s civil engineering program has tied for second in the nation in the 2017 U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best undergraduate engineering degrees in the country, up one spot from the 2016 list.
The environmental engineering program climbed to No. 4.
The publication released its 2017 list of top engineering programs Sept. 13.
“I am pleased that we continue to be ranked among the elite civil and environmental engineering programs in the country,” said Reginald DesRoches, professor and Karen and John Huff School Chair. “Our success is a testament to the quality and hard work of our faculty, staff, and students, as well as to the lasting impact our alumni continue to have around the world.”
Civil engineering’s rise into a tie for second in the United States matches the best ranking the program has ever achieved. The degree has remained among the nation’s top-five programs for at least 14 years running, with all but four of those years in the top three.
The bachelor’s degree rankings for environmental engineering programs are more volatile, with the top schools often trading positions up and down the list. Still, Georgia Tech has placed in the top six since 2011. The undergraduate environmental engineering degree began in 2006.
The U.S. News rankings are based on surveys of deans and faculty members at universities around the country. They can carry significant influence with prospective students, current undergraduates, professors, peer institutions and the media.
Overall, the Georgia Tech College of Engineering ranked fourth among all undergraduate engineering programs, tying with the California Institute of Technology. Every undergraduate engineering program in the College was among the six top programs in its field.
“I’m proud to see our College recognized year after year as one of the country’s best,” said Gary S. May, engineering dean and Southern Company Chair. “Rankings are not what drive our successes, but it’s gratifying to watch the College continue its ascent and cement its place among top engineering programs.”
| Top Civil Engineering Programs, 2017 |
Ranking in 2016 | Top Environmental Engineering Programs, 2017 | Ranking in 2016 | |
| 1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | #2 | 1. (tie) Stanford University | #1-tie | |
| 2. GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | #3 | 1. (tie) University of Michigan | #3 | |
| 2. University of California, Berkeley | #1 | 3. University of California, Berkeley | #1-tie | |
| 4. University of Texas at Austin | #6 | 4. GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | #6 | |
| 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | #7 | 5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | #4 | |
| 6. Purdue University | #5 | 6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | #8 | |
| 7. Stanford University | #4 | 7. Johns Hopkins University | #7 | |
| 8. University of Michigan | #8 | 7. University of Texas at Austin | #5 | |
| 9. Virginia Tech | #9 (tie) | 9. Carnegie Mellon University | #9 | |
| 10. Cornell University | #9 (tie) | 10. Virginia Tech | #11 |