Purdue's Online Engineering Grad Programs Gain Overall in U.S. News Rankings

Purdue University online engineering increased its overall standing and remained No. 1 in four categories, placing it among the nation’s elite in the newest U.S. News & World Report rankings of the Best Online Programs.

The rankings, released Jan. 24, list the university’s full array of online engineering graduate programs at No. 2, up from No. 3 in 2022, while Purdue remains in the No. 1 spot in four specific categories.

Collectively, online master’s programs from the Purdue College of Engineering rank second among 119 colleges and universities considered for the rankings after placing third in each of the previous three years. Purdue’s online engineering master’s programs as a whole trail only the University of California, Los Angeles. Among Big Ten schools, Purdue heads the list, with Pennsylvania State University ranked third, ahead of four other Big Ten schools in the top 10: the universities of Illinois (fourth), Michigan (sixth), Wisconsin (eighth) and Nebraska (10th).

Purdue online master’s degrees in electrical engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering and engineering management all rank No. 1 for 2023, as they did in 2022. The online civil engineering master’s is No. 2, also the same as in 2022.

In addition, Purdue‘s ranking in online engineering master’s programs for veterans moved up to No. 4 from No. 5 in 2022.

“The latest U.S. News rankings reflect our ongoing momentum as we expand the range, scale and impact of Purdue engineering’s online learning,” said Mark Lundstrom, interim dean of Purdue’s College of Engineering when the rankings were released. “Our growing suite of courses, certificates and degrees in microelectronic and semiconductor engineering is one recent example of how our faculty, staff, and university and corporate partners are creating online opportunities for students — opportunities that address the nation’s critical need for an expanded and upskilled semiconductor workforce.”

Dimitrios Peroulis, Purdue’s Michael and Katherine Birck Head and Reilly Professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said, “Purdue engineering will remain committed to offering quality programs through innovative educational vehicles for our growing online community. We are grateful to our online students, dedicated faculty, academic advisors, success coaches, alumni and Purdue engineering online staff for their critical contributions to this effort.”

Peroulis has served as Engineering’s academic lead for online learning since January 2018 and has been appointed senior vice president of Purdue University Online, effective July 1, 2023.

Purdue is engaged in an initiative to build a best-in-class collection of online courses and programs to serve a variety of students, working professionals and corporate partners with high-quality offerings that address high-need, high-demand areas and are accessible, affordable and demonstrably beneficial.

“At a time when education throughout our lives is more important than ever, Purdue’s leaders recognize that online learning needs to have an integral place in the university’s future and that it is, indeed, central to Purdue’s role as a model 21st-century land-grant institution,” said Gary Bertoline, senior vice president for Purdue University Online and Learning Innovation.

The organizers of the annual U.S. News rankings analyze such factors as the quality of students entering a program; online teaching practices so students stay enrolled and graduate on time; how the programs employ technologies to allow students flexibility; and the quality of student support services, career guidance and financial aid resources.

Also weighed are faculty credentials and training, including the degree to which online instructors’ credentials mirror those of on-campus faculty and the training instructors receive to teach distance learners.

In addition, U.S. News conducts a peer assessment survey of high-ranking academic officials — in the case of the engineering rankings, deans of engineering schools and top online learning leaders — as an important element of reviewing Purdue and other institutions for ranking.