U.S. News increases rank of Charlotte’s engineering graduate programs

The updated U.S. News & World Report rankings for the William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte reflect the college’s growing national reputation, with multiple graduate programs achieving double-digit climbs.

Three specialty graduate programs now rank among the top in the nation, underscoring the university’s strength in high-demand technical fields:

Civil engineering: 75th (up 16 spots)

Electrical engineering: 91st (up 18 spots)

Mechanical engineering: 85th (up six spots)

In addition to academic rankings, U.S. News reported an increase in the metric that indicates how often the research published by faculty and graduate students is cited by other authors. This signals the growing influence of the university’s scholarly work.

These gains, among the highest in the country, are driven by expanding programs, industry partnerships and increased funding from external agencies.

“With recent, significant investments by external partners and government agencies, and last year’s recognition of our status as a top-tier research institution, the opportunities for our graduate students are greater than ever before,” said Brett Tempest, associate dean for academic affairs. “For example, a recent transformational gift from Graham and Brenda Siddall will focus on student success and innovation, giving our Niner Engineers unique advantages available nowhere else.”

The college has also experienced year-over-year enrollment growth as more students seek the professional advantages of a graduate degree. Upon graduation, alumni transition into academic research positions or industry leadership roles, carrying the expertise of UNC Charlotte into their careers.

Learn more about UNC Charlotte graduate program rankings.