UMD’s Online Graduate Programs Jump in U.S. News Rankings

The University of Maryland’s online Master of Engineering and MBA programs stand among the nation’s best, landing at Nos. 6 and 11, respectively, in 2024 rankings released Wednesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The M.Eng. program climbed 13 spots from last year to crack the Top 10 for the first time. In addition, the A. James Clark School of Engineering placed No. 13 among online engineering graduate programs for veterans, No. 10 in electrical engineering and No. 14 in management—all up from last year.

“Online programs are an important tool in extending education access to a broader section of society. The Clark School’s online programs facilitate that opportunity with world-class educational opportunities and excellent instructors who address the needs of our students,” said Dean Samuel Graham, Jr. “We are incredibly proud of our rankings and what they indicate about our work to make an engineering career achievable for anyone who wants to pursue it.”

Offered through Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE), the online programs include master of engineering and graduate certificates in bioengineering, cybersecurity, fire protection engineering, project management, reliability engineering, energy systems engineering, software engineering and systems engineering. In 2023, MAGE added online programs in embedded systems, cloud engineering and hypersonics. In total, the full array of programs enroll 158 students.

All of the engineering and business programs are designed to be flexible and address the needs of busy adult learners, whose schedules or locations do not allow on-campus study, while remaining as equally enriching and valuable as in-person programs.

U.S. News rankings are based on factors including student engagement, faculty credentials, expert opinion of the program, student services and available technologies, and overall student excellence.

The Robert H. Smith School of Business moved up in three separate subcategories from last year: general management rose to No. 5 from No. 11; MBA in marketing edged up one spot to No. 5; and MBA for veterans increased to No. 9 from No. 10. Smith also placed No. 9 in the MBA-finance category and is No. 14, up from 16th, among non-MBA master's business programs.

"We are proud that the Smith School has been recognized for the excellence of our online programs,” said Dean Prabhudev Konana. “We have been doing this for many years, and continue to expand our online program offerings to help students develop their skills amid evolving global realignment and technological advancement in business and society."