U.S. News & World Report in its 2024 Online Programs Rankings named Cal State Fullerton’s online engineering and non-MBA business graduate programs among the top 5 in California and the top 30% in the U.S.
CSUF’s online engineering and computer science graduate programs — Master of Science in Software Engineering and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering — rank No. 4 in California behind UCLA, USC and Stanford.
The engineering and computer science graduate programs rank No. 30 nationally, placing in the top 28% of the 109 programs evaluated this year. CSUF’s programs tie with those of UC Riverside, the University of Arizona and Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge.
The graduate programs also are among the nation’s best for student veterans. CSUF is No. 21 of 35 schools with this distinction, tied with the University of Arizona. This ranking is based on the graduate programs’ overall rankings, access to veterans’ financial benefits and enrollment of students with military backgrounds.
Susamma “Susan” Barua, dean of CSUF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, said the online engineering degree programs remain focused on providing a high-quality education and experience in a modality that allows students to learn and engage at their own pace.
“The programs continue to gain national recognition due to our dedicated group of faculty and curriculum designed to meet the needs of the students, most of whom are working professionals,” Barua said.
The online business graduate program — Master of Science in Information Technology — is No. 3 in California behind the programs of USC and Santa Clara University. The online program ranks among other non-MBA business graduate programs at No. 51 nationally, placing in the top 24% of the 213 programs evaluated.
Sridhar Sundaram, dean of CSUF’s College of Business and Economics, said students in the university’s online information technology graduate program acquire knowledge and skills to help them immediately advance their careers and establish an indispensable professional network.
“This recognition underscores our commitment to keeping the curriculum relevant and staying ahead of the information technology trends, while providing the professional development needed to ensure that our students are among the most valuable talent within the workforce,” Sundaram said.
U.S. News used metrics specific to online learning to assess 1,752 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at regionally accredited institutions and rank 1,680 of them. Similar to 2023, its rankings considered student engagement, expert opinion, faculty credentials and training, student excellence, and services and technologies.