Published: August 21, 2008 11:26 pm         

Rose-Hulman tops among engineering colleges again

For the 10th consecutive year, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has been ranked the No. 1 college or university that offers the bachelor’s or master’s degree as its top degree in engineering.

The ranking is based on a national survey of deans and senior faculty conducted by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to the college’s overall ranking, four individual Rose-Hulman engineering programs received No. 1 rankings: civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Rose-Hulman’s chemical engineering program received a No. 2 ranking.

“The U.S. News ranking is an indicator of the excellence Rose-Hulman strives to achieve on a daily basis,” said Rose-Hulman President Gerald S. Jakubowski in a prepared statement.

“Although the number one ranking affirms our reputation as a national educational leader, it is not the only tool that should be used when evaluating Rose-Hulman,” Jakubowski added. “The quality of our students, the effectiveness of our faculty and staff, our hands-on approach to learning, and the success of our alumni tell a broader story of how the college impacts individual lives and society in general.”

In this year’s U.S. News ranking, Rose-Hulman received a 4.5 peer assessment score on a scale of one to five. The remaining top five colleges are Harvey Mudd College in California (4.4), Cooper Union in New York City (4.1), Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (4.0) and the United States Military Academy (3.9).

The rankings are based solely on peer survey of deans and senior faculty. Highlights of the college rankings will be published in the Sept. 1 issue of U.S. News & World Report, available for newsstand purchase Monday. The 2009 America’s Best Colleges guidebook will be available Tuesday.

For more information about the rankings, visit the U.S. News Web site, www.usnews.com.