Oregon Institute of Technology’s (Oregon Tech’s) value rose in the U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges 2017” rankings, released today. The report once again lists Oregon Tech at No. 1 as Top Public Western Regional College and the university moved up two spots in the ranking of Best Western Regional Colleges to No. 3, a list which is comprised of the best baccalaureate colleges in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
In the Best Western Colleges category, Oregon Tech received the highest peer assessment score at 3.8 out of 5, and showcased that the university receives freshman who are typically in the top 25% of their high school graduating class. U.S. News & World Report bases the overall university rankings, which have been published annually since 1983, on a number of criteria, including peer assessment, retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rates, and alumni giving.
In the category of Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the nation, Oregon Tech rose to No. 35 (No. 15 among public colleges and universities)- a list that ranks all undergraduate engineering programs accredited by ABET at non-PhD-granting universities. U.S. News notes that the rankings are based solely on surveys of engineering deans and senior faculty at accredited programs. The university’s online learning program is featured on its own list as No. 199 out of more than 1,200 accredited institutions and the university also reappeared on Best Colleges for Veterans as No. 2 in Western Regional Colleges. This list provides military veterans and active-duty service members with rankings among schools that are certified for the GI Bill® and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
“I’m excited that the exceptional and innovative education Oregon Tech provides is being recognized by more organizations each year," said Dr. Jay Kenton, interim president of Oregon Tech. “Our approach to hands-on education in focused fields of study supplies our graduates with the knowledge they need to hit the ground running upon graduation. We encourage our students to take risks and learn from them to gain real-world experience, and we pride ourselves on a faculty who have industry experience and maintain workforce connections, providing our students with current skills and knowledge they will need from day one.”
Most recently, Oregon Tech has been listed among the top 20 percent of Colleges in the Nation by Forbes and as No. 11 Best Return on Investment (ROI) nationally by PayScale. Most notably its high ROI, Oregon Tech appeared on a list by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce for Top Oregon Public University Earnings Potential. The list evaluated the earning potential of more than 1,400 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and place Oregon Tech alumni at the top of the list as the highest earning graduates of any Oregon public university.
Highlights of the rankings of more than 1,500 four-year schools in the United States are available today at www.usnews.com/colleges. To view a full list of Oregon Tech accolades, please visit www.oit.edu/news/university-accolades-rankings.
About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the only public 4-year institute of technology in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides degree programs in engineering and health technologies, management, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public, and international communities through hands-on learning. Oregon Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls and an urban, industry-focused campus in Wilsonville. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Tech.
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