Auburn Engineering jumps two spots to No. 18 in latest U.S. News online graduate program rankings
Published: Jan 27, 2026 7:20 AM
By Karen Hunley
Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering moved up two spots to No. 18 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2026 Best Online Graduate Engineering Program rankings, marking six consecutive years in the top 20 and a full decade in the top 25. The program is ranked No. 14 among public universities.
In the specialty rankings, Auburn’s online electrical engineering and industrial engineering programs both improved to No. 11 for 2026. The online computer science and software engineering program came in at No. 17.
For online programs for veterans, Auburn Engineering is ranked No. 13, improving two spots from last year.
Auburn Engineering offers 15 fully online master’s degrees and 24 graduate certificates, including the new Space Systems Graduate Certificate. A partnership with the College of Sciences and Mathematics, this program is designed for individuals looking to deepen their understanding of space missions, satellite design and space system operations.
The computer science and software engineering department also offers a fully online master’s program and graduate certificate program in artificial intelligence engineering, which focuses on developing high-quality solutions to AI and machine-learning.
Both of these new fields of study — space systems and artificial intelligence — help ensure Auburn keeps pace with the evolving engineering workforce and that students are ready to solve relevant, real-world problems.
Auburn Engineering also maintains educational partnerships with seven engineering technology companies, giving employees the opportunity to earn a graduate degree and develop new technical skills while still working full time.
“Our industry continues to face new challenges and our rigorous, yet flexible, graduate programs ensure that Auburn Engineering students are ready to face them,” said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. “The quality of our online graduate programs, along with the hard work of our faculty and Engineering Online staff, are reflected year after year in our top 20 U.S. News rankings.”
The U.S. News and World Report’s Best Online Graduate Engineering Program rankings are based on five factors: student engagement (25 percent), faculty credentials and training (25 percent), expert opinion/peer assessment (25 percent), student services and technology (12.5 percent) and student excellence (12.5 percent).
View the full rankings at usnews.com/online.
Media Contact: , kam0003@auburn.edu, 334.844.2224
The latest ranking marks six consecutive years in the top 20 and a full decade in the top 25.
