U.S. News & World Report bases the overall university rankings, which have been published annually since 1983, on a number of criteria, including graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, expert opinion, faculty resources, student excellence, financial resources and alumni giving. The publication places the heaviest weight on student outcomes, including analyzing schools' success at retaining and graduating students. This year U.S. News added a new outcome indicator looking at social mobility, or a school's success at graduating students who received federal Pell Grants.
In the category of Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the nation, Oregon Tech ranked better than last year at No. 35. The U.S. News rankings of the undergraduate engineering programs accredited by ABET are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty at peer institutions. U.S. News notes that the rankings are based solely on surveys of engineering deans and senior faculty at accredited programs. Oregon Tech is also featured as a Best Value School for being one of the western regional colleges with the least student debt.
The news coincides with the University’s continued ranking as a top university in the nation for annual return on investment by PayScale and SmartAsset. In August, Oregon Tech was also featured by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the Fastest-Growing Colleges in the nation in their Almanac 2018 publication. The University was highlighted at No. 3 for enrollment of a Baccalaureate-granting institution. The growth can be attributed to many things between the surveyed years of 2006-2016, but in addition to new, in-demand programs, dedicated faculty and staff, and a strong donor support system, the university has seen impressive growth through the Portland-Metro campus opened in Wilsonville in 2012 and through the Online campus.
Highlights of the rankings of nearly 1,400 four-year schools in the United States are available at www.usnews.com/colleges. To view a full list of Oregon Tech accolades, please visit www.oit.edu/news/university-accolades-rankings.
About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the premier public polytechnic institution in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in engineering, health technologies, business, technology, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public and international communities through applied, relevant learning and professional practice. Oregon Tech has a central, residential campus in Klamath Falls; an urban, industry-focused campus in Portland-Metro (Wilsonville); an Online campus; and offers degrees at Boeing Seattle and at other sites. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
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