University News

WNE Named Among Best Universities in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report

Published: September 15, 2022 | Categories: Engineering, All News

University ranks high in Engineering and Social Mobility Access

WNE campus in fall

In newly released rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Western New England University (WNE) has been ranked #234 in Best National University Rankings.

WNE transitioned from the Regional to National University classification in 2020. Colleges in the National Universities classification put WNE in the company of more than 400 schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs. These colleges are also committed to producing groundbreaking research.

"As a future-focused leader, I am proud to be at the helm of a nationally-ranked future-focused institution—a nationally-ranked New Traditional University!," said University President Dr. Robert E. Johnson. "At the most macro level, we are educating young people today for jobs that do not yet exist and to have the aptitude to solve problems we have yet to identify. Our collective responsibility is to help students understand they must be adaptive, nimble, and entrepreneurial with a value-creation orientation. Western New England University is poised to prepare the next generation for the future of work."

In other U.S. News rankings, WNE ranked #209 among the best schools for Social Mobility Access. This places WNE in the top 10 National Universities in Massachusetts in this category. The Top Performers on Social Mobility ranking measures the extent schools enrolled and graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually). According to U.S. News and World Report, economically disadvantaged students are less likely to finish college and some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded Pell grants.

The WNE College of Engineering continues to be ranked in the top 100 Undergraduate Engineering (no doctorate) program category having moved up five spots from 2021 to #87. This ranking is based on survey results conducted by U.S. News of deans and faculty members of undergraduate engineering programs at nationally ranked peer institutions accredited by ABET, the engineering accrediting body.

The College of Engineering at Western New England University educates students to become innovative problem solvers capable of solving tomorrow’s problems today.

The College of Engineering offers ABET-accredited programs leading to BS degrees in Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering. It has recently introduced a new BS program in Construction Management. The College also offers a multitude of graduate programs at the master’s and PhD levels.

"Engineering students at WNE are encouraged to set goals, create their own vision, and work towards new revelations," said College of Engineering Dean Hossein Cheraghi. "That mindset helps them create value for employers and society. We are not just preparing our students for a successful career. We are shaping leaders who will be part of creating a better and brighter future."

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with helpful data and information on factors such as graduation rates, social mobility, and graduate indebtedness. Now in its 38th year, the rankings evaluate an all-time high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality.

"For nearly 40 years, the Best Colleges methodology has continuously evolved to reflect changes in the higher education landscape and the interests of prospective students," said Kim Castro, Editor and Chief Content Officer at U.S. News. "Guiding that evolution is U.S. News' mission of providing useful data and information to help with one of life's biggest decisions."

More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance.