Embry-Riddle’s Aerospace Engineering Program Named Best in Nation for 11th Straight Year

Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., Aug. 17, 2010 – For the 11th year in a row, the annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide published by U.S. News Media Group has ranked Embry-Riddle’s aerospace engineering program #1 in the nation and has also named Embry-Riddle to the top tier of universities granting mainly bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Highlights of the rankings of more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools will be posted today at www.usnews.com and will be published in the September 2010 issue of U.S. News & World Report, available on newsstands Aug. 31. The 2011 “Best Colleges” guidebook will be on newsstands Aug. 24.

In the specialty category of “Best Undergraduate Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus took first place and the University’s Prescott, Ariz., campus was #3.

Additionally, in the broader category of “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus was ranked #11, up one spot compared to last year, and the Prescott campus climbed from #34 to #17.

Among the 118 schools in the category of “Best Regional Universities (South),” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus was ranked #10, up two notches this year. That list includes institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia that grant primarily bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“I am proud of our College of Engineering faculty at both of our residential campuses for achieving an impressive ranking,” said Embry-Riddle President John P. Johnson. “Their emphasis on getting students involved in hands-on applied research makes Embry-Riddle the best choice for individuals seeking careers in aerospace engineering and sciences.”

The pool of eligible schools for the “Best Colleges” engineering rankings is based on accreditation by ABET Inc., which evaluates college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. The rankings for the engineering programs are based on the judgments of deans and senior faculty, who rate each program they are familiar with. A few engineering schools with small doctoral programs are placed in the bachelor’s and master’s category.

The rankings for the “Best Regional Universities (South)” category are based on peer assessment (25%), graduation and retention rates (25%), faculty resources (20%), student selectivity (15%), financial resources (10%), and alumni giving rate (5%).

Embry-Riddle is now a doctorate-granting institution: a Ph.D. in aviation degree program launched earlier this year and a Ph.D. in engineering physics degree program begins next month. The University offers a wide range of engineering degrees: bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, and software engineering, and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering, computer and electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, and software engineering.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 170 campuses in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.