U.S. News: Mechanical engineering at Illinois holds steady at No. 7

In the 2023 U.S. News & World Report of Undergraduate Engineering Rankings the undergraduate mechanical engineering program at the University of Illinois maintained its No. 7 rank for another year.

Since the 2021 reopening of the renovated Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building, the MechSE Department at Illinois boasts one of the newest and most innovation-rich educational facilities in the world.

“I don’t think we simply held steady in undergraduate rankings. We held steady as the department moved into the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building, nucleating a transformation across all of our facilities, including those in the Mechanical Engineering Lab and Talbot Hall. This transformation has allowed research and instructional lab improvements, has opened maker-space access for our students to create and make, has provided state-of-the-art classrooms, and an amazing place for students to collaborate and socialize. Our rankings held steady, while we took a deep breath, and now it is time to charge forward,” said Anthony Jacobi, MechSE Department Head.

MechSE's Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs Sanjiv Sinha agrees. “MechSE has its sights set on more innovative use of its resources, on enhancing its impact on undergraduate education, and on making this world-class education accessible to even more talented students. We hope that the many small steps we are taking toward improvement – some visible and others behind the scenes – will eventually take us to new heights. The core reasons for our continued success are a dedicated faculty and the excellent staff in the Undergraduate Programs Office who provide outstanding service to our students.”

The Grainger College of Engineering undergraduate programs also ranked No. 7, in a tie with Carnegie Mellon University. Ten of the college's individual degree programs were ranked in the top ten.

Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked Illinois No. 4 in graduate programs for mechanical engineering and No. 2 for online ME graduate education.