Embry-Riddle's aerospace program ranked best in nation

Courtesy photo / Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students work on a robotics project as shown here. ERAU has reached some new milestones nationwide. 

DAYTONA BEACH -- The 2012 Best Colleges guidebook published by U.S. News & World Report has ranked Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) undergraduate aerospace engineering program tops in the nation for the 12th year in a row.

The guidebook, which hit newsstands in September, ranks 1,400 accredited four-year schools nationwide.

In the specialty category of “Best Undergraduate Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus took first place and the University’s Prescott, Ariz., campus was third.

Additionally, in the broader category of “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus is ranked No. 11 and the Prescott campus has continued its steady climb, reaching No. 16 this year.

“We are very proud of our College of Engineering,” said Embry-Riddle President John P. Johnson. “This makes the 12th consecutive year that they have received the U.S. News & World Report ranking as the best undergraduate program in the nation. We feel that this is a positive reflection on the quality of our faculty and their commitment to both excellence in the classroom and knowledge discovery.”

John Johnson“We are very proud of our College of Engineering,” said Embry-Riddle President John P. Johnson. “This makes the 12th consecutive year that they have received the U.S. News & World Report ranking as the best undergraduate program in the nation. We feel that this is a positive reflection on the quality of our faculty and their commitment to both excellence in the classroom and knowledge discovery.”

Embry-Riddle offers bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, and software engineering; master’s degrees in aerospace engineering, computer and electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, and software engineering; and a doctoral degree in engineering physics.

The pool of eligible schools for the “Best in Undergraduate Engineering” rankings is based on accreditation by ABET Inc., which evaluates college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. The rankings are based on the judgments of engineering deans and senior faculty, who rate each program they are familiar with.

A few engineering schools with small doctoral programs are placed in the bachelor’s and master’s category. Also of note, this year's “Best Colleges” guide named Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus No. 11 in the category of “Best Regional Universities (South),” a ranking of 121 institutions that grant primarily bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

This is the 10th straight year that Embry-Riddle has placed among the top 25 schools in this category. The rankings for the “Best Regional Universities (South)” category are based on reputation (25%), graduation and retention rates (25%), faculty resources (20%), student selectivity (15%), financial resources (10%), and alumni giving rate (5%).

FAST FACTS

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's, and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities, and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu.
 

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Jim Hathaway