Engineering College Crosses Into Top 100 in 2026 U.S. News Graduate Rankings

The University of Arkansas College of Engineering moved into the top 100 of the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Engineering Schools rankings, climbing seven positions from 106th to 99th overall and 65th among public institutions. 

The college was one of only a few public engineering programs in the country to climb seven or more positions this year. 

The 2026 methodology weights research productivity, doctoral program selectivity and assessments by peer deans and corporate recruiters. Arkansas' improvement tracks most clearly with the research and selectivity indicators that Vision 2035, the college's 15-year strategic plan, named as priorities five years ago.  

The plan, developed with input from more than 100 industry and community stakeholders, calls for doubling the number of engineering graduates and doubling research productivity by 2035, outcomes a Heartland Forward study projected could add $3.9 billion to Arkansas' economy. 

The indicators driving the climb show that the work is taking hold. The college's doctoral program admitted 19.1% of applicants, a rate more selective than two-thirds of ranked public programs, and granted 64 doctoral degrees in the most recent reporting year, above the median for ranked publics. The college published more than 2,100 papers over the past five years, with 21.5% appearing in the top 5% of journals in their fields. 

"This movement reflects sustained investment in our research enterprise and our doctoral programs," said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. "Our faculty are publishing in the journals that matter most, and our graduate programs are growing both in size and in selectivity." 

"We have a plan, and the plan is working," said Bill Lansden, chief strategy officer for the College of Engineering. "Vision 2035 set clear targets for research, graduate production and industry partnership. The indicators in this ranking are the ones we've been building toward." 

The ranking comes as the University of Arkansas reported a record $252.9 million in research expenditures for 2025, an increase of more than $90 million over four years. The College of Engineering's $60 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2025 is expected to grow during the coming year. 

"The goal was never a ranking," Needy said. "The goal is engineering that improves lives in Arkansas and beyond. The ranking is one way the outside world measures whether we're getting there." 

About the College of Engineering:  The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the state's largest engineering school, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, online studies and interdisciplinary programs. It enrolls more than 4,700 students and employs more than 150 faculty and researchers along with nearly 200 staff members. Its research enterprise generated $47 million in new research awards in Fiscal Year 2025. The college's strategic plan, Vision 2035, seeks to build the premier STEM workforce in accordance with three key objectives: Initiating lifelong student success, generating transformational and relevant knowledge, and becoming the destination of choice among educators, students, staff, industry, alumni and the community. As part of this, the college is increasing graduates and research productivity to expand its footprint as an entrepreneurial engineering platform serving Arkansas and the world. The college embraces its pivotal role in driving economic growth, fueling innovation and educating the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and data scientists to address current and future societal challenges.