U.Va. Engineering Graduate Program Ranked Third by Princeton Review

The University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science graduate program was ranked third in the country by the Princeton Review in its first-ever list of the Top 20 Graduate Engineering Programs, released Sept. 22. 

The U.Va. engineering graduate program was recognized for its strong GRE scores, undergraduate GPA (3.5 average), percentage of applicants accepted and percentage of top undergraduates applying over the past two academic years, according to the Princeton Review.

"It's an honor for the University of Virginia Engineering School's graduate program to be ranked third nationally by the Princeton Review," said James H. Aylor, dean of the engineering school. "We see this as a confirmation that we continue to move forward in reaching our programmatic and institutional goals."

Aylor attributes the graduate program's success to its strong faculty and research programs. Ten U.Va. engineering faculty are members of the National Academy of Engineering, and three others were recently recognized as being among the 250 most highly cited researchers in their fields. In addition, while research grant proposals are funded at an average rate of 25 percent nationally, U.Va. engineering faculty see 58 percent of their proposals funded, a success rate more than twice the national average.

 "The U.Va. engineering graduate program prepares leaders with the engineering knowledge, the analytical skills and a broad, global perspective to address the challenges the world confronts," said Kathryn C. Thornton, the engineering school's associate dean for graduate programs.  "Our graduate students contribute significantly to the research productivity of the University and gain considerable experience in teaching. The Princeton Review's ranking reinforces our program's commitment to quality in an increasingly competitive academic environment."

Also among the top graduate engineering programs were those at the University of California at Santa Barbara (1st), Duke University (2nd), Michigan State University (4th) and Johns Hopkins University (5th).  (For a complete list of the Top 20, visit: http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/research/articles/find/engineering.asp.)

The rankings were designed as a resource for students applying to graduate programs of engineering and for those who advise and support them - from college and career counselors to educators and parents, according to Robert Franek, vice president and senior editor of Princeton Review books. "Each school on our list of top programs of Graduate Engineering should be recognized for the quality education they provide for those planning a career in this field," Franek said.