 |
For the second year in a row, Georgia Tech’s undergraduate environmental engineering program jumped two spots in the most-visible rankings of engineering schools, landing at No. 2 in the nation.
Meanwhile, the civil engineering bachelor’s program maintained its second-place status in the U.S. News and World Report 2018 rankings released Sept. 12. The No. 2 ranking matches the high-water mark for both programs, and this year is the first time both School of Civil and Environmental Engineering undergrad degrees have been concurrently positioned in the second slot.
“We are extremely gratified to find ourselves once again on ‘the medal stand’ — among the nation’s very best undergrad engineering programs. It’s a testament to the hard work our faculty and staff put in each day to teach strong engineering fundamentals and collaborate on research that helps improve our global society,” said Kimberly Kurtis, interim school chair. “You know, success begets success. And so, these rankings help us attract the highest caliber students — but they also speak to the amazing students we work with daily who are making remarkable contributions to engineering and society.”
Tech’s environmental engineering program has been steadily rising in prominence among the nation’s premier universities, climbing from sixth in the publication's 2016 survey. This year, Tech is tied at No. 2 with Stanford University and the University of Michigan.
U.S. News bases it discipline-specific rankings on surveys of other civil and environmental engineering programs around the nation. That means, Kurtis said, fellow educators and researchers recognize the quality of the School’s graduates and its scientific contributions.
“We are immensely grateful to all of our remarkable alumni, who are carrying our banner out in the world and impacting lives,” Kurtis said. “We couldn’t be where we are without their continued support, as well as the support of our other dedicated friends.”
The School’s undergrad degrees join every other program in the College of Engineering in the top six of their discipline. The College itself — ranked by surveys as well as other metrics — held firm at No. 4
“We continue to strive to provide the best engineering education possible and create an environment where today’s students are developed as tomorrow’s thinkers, leaders, and creators,” said Steven McLaughlin, incoming dean of the College and Southern Company Chair. “While rankings do not tell the whole story regarding a campus or program, they do demonstrate the commitment that each of the individual Schools has toward our students and to excellence in education and research.”