Rose-Hulman Tops U.S. News’ Engineering List for 20th Straight Year

Monday, September 10, 2018
Venn diagram graphic with 'No.1 20 Years Straight' in the center

Rose-Hulman once again leads U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings as America’s top engineering school that’s focused on bachelor’s- and master’s-level education. This marks the 20th consecutive year that the institute has ranked No. 1.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology once again leads U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings as America’s top engineering school that’s focused on bachelor’s- and master’s-level education.

This marks the 20th consecutive year that Rose-Hulman has ranked No. 1 among accredited undergraduate engineering programs in a survey of U.S. college engineering deans and senior faculty. Survey participants were asked to rate programs with which they were familiar on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). Rose-Hulman earned a 4.6 score.

The institute also earned top survey marks in four academic department categories: civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.

“This recognition for Rose-Hulman is an affirmation by our peers that we are home to some of the brightest minds in engineering education, offering a highly challenging curriculum to undergraduate students seeking both rigor and support,” said President Jim Conwell. “Rose-Hulman is one of the most academically challenging environments you can experience, but we believe it is the most rewarding for students because of the hands-on opportunities they have within an environment of personal attention, collaboration and support.” 

The U.S. News distinction follows rankings by Forbes, PayScale, Niche and other organizations recognizing Rose-Hulman’s high return on investment, faculty expertise, career placement, and alumni success—to name a few.

Learn more about Rose-Hulman’s rankings and distinctions. 

Rose-Hulman faculty lead national conversations about laboratory teaching and change in engineering education at conferences each school year, Conwell noted. Several faculty have been recognized as outstanding teachers and scholars by national organizations.

“The fact that we have reached this (U.S. News & World Report) milestone of 20 years shows that Rose-Hulman doesn’t rest on its laurels,” Conwell added. “We’re always striving for continuous improvement because the competition keeps getting stronger to attract and retain the best students, faculty and staff. It takes vision, foresight and resources to remain at the top.”

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Houtman notes that two facilities on the Rose-Hulman campus—one to open early this winter—will provide additional teaching flexibility and expand student project space, supporting best practices and new initiatives in science, engineering and mathematics instruction. Those initiatives include the nation’s first undergraduate degree program in engineering design that was added to Rose-Hulman’s curriculum this fall.