Two online graduate programs at UC Riverside’s Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering are once again among the 2025 U.S. News Best Online Programs.
The online master’s in information technology program was ranked No. 17 nationwide while the online engineering graduate program was No. 28. Both represented improvements from the previous year when information technology was No. 21 and online engineering was No. 30.
This is the third year both programs were included in the U.S. News list.
“These new rankings reflect the strength and effectiveness of the online programs we offer,” said Chris Lynch, dean of the Bourns College of Engineering. “Our online engineering master’s programs contribute to career advancement and professional growth. These latest rankings are the result of our online offerings being competitive and effective paths toward success and excellence.”
Released Tuesday, Jan. 21, this is the 13th year of the online rankings by U.S. News & World Report, which evaluated almost 1,800 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nine categories. The rankings used metrics specific to online learning and include only degree-granting programs offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions.
Schools were evaluated based on a variety of factors, such as student engagement, faculty credentials, and services and technologies.
U.S. News noted that both programs allow students to obtain degrees in as few as 13 months while working full-time and have a strong engineering management component, preparing students with technical and management skills.
The information technology program was 17 out of 97 and ranked No. 2 out of five in California. The program was also ranked No. 11 out of 50 for Best Public Online Information Technology programs.
The online engineering program was 28 out of 109, tied for No. 3 for best public online engineering programs in California, and No. 22 overall in best public programs.
The list is the latest ranking in which UCR has done well. In September, U.S. News named the campus No. 1 in the nation for social mobility while the Wall Street Journal named UCR No. 12 for social mobility. In other areas, UCR was ranked No. 16 for Pell Grant student success by Washington Monthly , and No. 37 among public universities by Forbes magazine.
