The graduate school program in the Texas Tech University Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering has been named the No. 9 program in the country in the latest U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate School Rankings.

Overall, the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering was ranked No. 94 in the nation while its online graduate engineering programs were ranked No. 17, up from No. 20 in 2015.

“National recognition of this kind is a reflection on the high-quality work and dedication of faculty, staff and students in these programs,” said interim provost Michael Galyean. “Moreover, these Top-100 rankings reflect Texas Tech University’s commitment to supporting and growing high-quality graduate programs.”

Petroleum Engineering was one of four schools or departments at Texas Tech to earn Top 100 rankings in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings released Tuesday (March 14).

“Again this year, I am pleased our online programs rank in the top 20 nationally,” said Al Sacco Jr., dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering. “It reinforces our desire to be a top services provider to those who would like to further their education without having to be physically present in the classroom. Overall, the college continues to be in the top 100 engineering schools nationally, and I am particularly pleased that petroleum engineering is ranked ninth in the nation. These are all great indicators of the quality of our faculty, staff and facilities as we drive to provide a world class education to all.”

The other three departments where Texas Tech earned Top 100 rankings are the Department of Geosciences (No. 88-tie, the same ranking it received in 2015), the Department of Political Science (No. 89-tie) and the College of Engineering (No. 94-tie).

“We are very happy in Political Science to see that the hard work of the faculty is beginning to pay off,” said Dennis Patterson, department chair. “Our intention is that this is just the beginning of the department’s upward ascendance. Indeed, we hope to be much higher when the next National Research Council’s rankings are completed.”

Released annually, U.S. News and World Report uses expert opinions regarding the value of a graduate school program and statistics that measure the quality of a school’s faculty to determine the rankings, according to the magazine.

“These rankings are recognition of some of the many excellent graduate programs we have at Texas Tech,” said Mark Sheridan, dean of the Graduate School. “Students enrolled in these programs work with world-class faculty and receive a top-notch education, and as a result they are better prepared to enter the job market and advance in their careers. These rankings also play a role in helping attract top applicants into our graduate programs in the future.”
 

(News release from Texas Tech)