The Cal Poly College of Engineering, known for its unique Learn by Doing approach, strong industry partnerships and successful career placement, was ranked eighth on the list of best master’s/bachelor’s engineering programs in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report. Meanwhile, the magazine ranked the college’s Industrial & Manufacturing program No. 1 while several others within the college were in the top three nationally, according to the magazine’s annual America’s Best Colleges Guidebook.
Programs ranked No. 2 by the publication include aerospace, computer, civil and electrical engineering. The mechanical and biomedical engineering programs each ranked third.
“While we at Cal Poly know how well the College of Engineering prepares students for the future, we’re always happy to have respected, independent sources like U.S. News & World Report recognize this and share our success with the public,” said Dean Amy S. Fleischer. “News of our achievements inspires both current and prospective students while strengthening our connections with industry, which seeks to work with the brightest, most prepared graduates.”
The guidebook is intended to help prospective college students and their parents choose the best fit for their college destination.
For the 28th straight year, the publication named Cal Poly the best public, master’s-level university in the West. The 2021 guide, released Sept. 14, provides data on more than 1,800 colleges and universities and rankings for more than 1,400 institutions. It lists Cal Poly in third overall in the West — up one from last year and an improvement of nine spots from 2019’s rankings.
The College of Engineering, No. 8 among the 220 rated by the publication, was ranked the fourth top public university engineering program.
The college includes roughly 6,000 students; more than 80 state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and workspaces; and roughly 80 student clubs. Cal Poly Engineering graduates are highly respected and recruited by some of the best-known companies in the U.S., such as Lockheed Martin, Google, Boeing, Cisco, Northrop Grumman, Apple, Tesla Motors, and many state and federal agencies. The college has also forged many industry partnerships that both help prepare students for their careers while providing an important employee pipeline to industry.
