U.S. News groups colleges into categories, of which Oregon Tech is listed within regional colleges in the west. The overall university rankings, which have been published annually since 1983, are based on a number of criteria, including graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, social mobility, faculty resources, expert opinion, student excellence, financial resources and alumni giving. The publication places the heaviest weight on student outcomes, including analyzing schools' success at retaining and graduating students within a six-year time range. Last year’s addition of a new outcome indicator looking at social mobility, or a school's success at graduating students who received federal Pell Grants, determined a new ranking this year, with Oregon Tech listed as No. 7 in Social Mobility among regional colleges.
In the category of Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the nation, Oregon Tech moved up three places to No. 32. The U.S. News rankings of the undergraduate engineering programs accredited by ABET are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty at peer institutions. U.S. News notes that the rankings are based solely on surveys of engineering deans and senior faculty at accredited programs. The university reappeared on Best Colleges for Veterans as No. 4 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. Oregon Tech is also featured as a Best Value School for being one of the western regional colleges with the least student debt.
“We’re very pleased to once again be ranked highly by this report,” said Dr. Nagi Naganathan, president of Oregon Tech. “It is a credit to our faculty, students and staff. Our commitment to growth and quality is celebrated through this accolade, and we will continue to make sure that our students’ investment at Oregon Tech translates to advanced career opportunities, financial well-being and a high quality of life.”
The news coincides with the University’s continued ranking as a top university in the nation for annual return on investment by PayScale and SmartAsset. In August, Oregon Tech was also featured by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the Fastest-Growing Colleges in the nation in their Almanac 2019 publication. The University was highlighted at No. 3 for enrollment of a Baccalaureate-granting institution. The growth can be attributed to many things between the surveyed years of 2007-2017, but in addition to new, in-demand programs, dedicated faculty and staff, and a strong donor support system, the university has seen impressive growth through the Portland-Metro campus opened in Wilsonville in 2012 and through the Online campus.
Highlights of the rankings of nearly 1,400 four-year schools in the United States are available 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 Institute of Technology
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the premier polytechnic university in Oregon. Oregon Tech provides bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in engineering, health technologies, business, technology, communication and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public and international communities through applied, relevant learning and professional practice. Oregon Tech has a central, residential university in Klamath Falls; an urban, industry-focused campus in Portland-Metro (Wilsonville); an Online campus; and offers degrees at Boeing Seattle and at other sites. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
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