New rankings by U.S. News & World Report place the School of Engineering at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, among the top 50 undergraduate programs in the nation. The campus appears at No. 47 on the list, which was released Sept. 9.
Other Penn State Behrend programs were not eligible to appear in the rankings. U.S. News evaluates colleges and universities based in part on their academic accreditations; within the Penn State system, most programs are accredited university-wide, with no distinction among campuses.
The engineering and engineering technology programs in the School of Engineering at Penn State Behrend are independently accredited by ABET, the former Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, which reviews engineering programs at more than 680 colleges and universities. Penn State Behrend was ranked at No. 45 on the 2013 U.S. News list; it appeared at No. 51 in 2011.
Other top programs in this year’s rankings include Harvey Mudd College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the U.S. Naval Academy and Bucknell University.
"This ranking is a reflection of our excellent students and alumni, who are highly sought after by employers and graduate schools," said Ralph Ford, director of the School of Engineering and associate dean for industry and external relations. "Our programs continue to grow, both in student numbers and the degrees we offer, including, this year, a new master's of manufacturing management degree."