The Chemical Engineering Graduate Program at UC Santa Barbara ranks among the best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Graduate Engineering Schools rankings. Out of 130 private and public institutions that offered doctorate degrees in chemical engineering, UCSB ranked ninth overall and sixth among public institutions. It marked the fourth year in a row that the program ranked in the top 10 overall.
As a whole, UCSB’s College of Engineering graduate program ranked 14th among public universities and 27th overall. The materials graduate program ranked second among public institutions and fifth out of the 114 public and private universities. The mechanical engineering graduate program ranked 17th among public universities and 29th out of 180 total institutions, while electrical engineering ranked 14th among public institutions and 25th out of 186 overall. Computer science was ranked 28th overall and 14th among public universities.
The annual report evaluated 200 engineering schools that granted doctoral degrees. Information used to compile the overall rankings included statistical data and surveys submitted by engineering school deans and recruiters. UCSB ranked fourth among all public universities in the percentage of faculty who are elected members of the National Academy of Engineering (10.1 percent). Chemical engineering professors Glenn Fredrickson, James B. Rawlings, Michael Doherty, and Rachel Segalman, the current department chair, are members of the NAE.
Specialty rankings, such as chemical engineering and materials, were based solely on peer assessments by department heads in each specialty area.