UCF’s engineering programs have been recognized as some of the best in the nation once again through the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate School rankings.
The university achieved a total of 10 rankings for engineering, including two in the top 50. UCF ranked No. 46 for its industrial engineering programs and No. 38 for aerospace engineering. This ranking reinforces the university’s legacy in a field deeply tied to Florida’s Space Coast and NASA’s recent Artemis II launch.
“It is gratifying to see the hard work and exciting research of our faculty and students recognized by our peers,” says Associate Professor Jeffrey Kauffman, the aerospace engineering program director. “Since we launched the aerospace engineering doctoral program in 2019, UCF has climbed significantly in national rankings, and enrollment has grown to more than 100 doctoral students. Recent advances in hypersonic flight and space exploration have helped drive this growth, with UCF’s HyperSpace Center serving as a catalyst for new research initiatives.”
The program that reflected the most growth is civil engineering, which climbed four spots to No. 71 this year. Environmental engineering also moved up one spot. The climb in rankings comes after the department announced a new partnership with Ardaman and Associates, resulting in a new lecture series for civil engineers in Central Florida and beyond. The department also hired a total of five new faculty members over this past academic year.
“The growth in size and national/international reputation of our programs are evidence of growing demand for civil and environmental engineering graduates from UCF and the innovative research generated by our faculty,” says Professor Kevin Mackie, the chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering. “Our successful new faculty hires are pushing the boundaries of infrastructure research in digital twins, AI, coastal engineering, extreme events, sensing and modeling. Faculty are bringing high-impact practices to the classroom, mentoring undergraduate and graduate student researchers and postdoctoral scholars, and making CECE the partnership department for industry-led senior design and workforce development events.”
The full list of college rankings is below:
College ranking: No. 71
Aerospace Engineering: No. 38
Industrial Engineering: No. 46
Computer Engineering: No. 54
Electrical Engineering: No. 57
Civil Engineering: No. 61
Materials Science and Engineering: No. 65
Mechanical Engineering: No. 70
Environmental Engineering: No. 71
Biomedical Engineering: No. 109
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio '11