UCLA’s online engineering master’s program again ranked No. 1 by U.S. News

For the fourth year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering's online master's degree program No. 1 in the country, marking the eighth time in 12 years the program has held the top spot.

High student engagement and innovative, flexible teaching methods helped position the Master of Science in Engineering Online(MSOL) program at the top of the 2026 U.S. News "Best Online Programs" rankings. UCLA Samueli has placed No. 1 or 2 since 2014, two years after the rankings were first published.

Students enrolled in the program are taught by the same faculty who lead regular master's classes on campus. Lectures are livestreamed and recorded, either in classrooms or in several fully outfitted studios, while office hours are held via Zoom by professors and teaching assistants on weeknights and weekends. The flexible structure of the program allows mid-career professionals to pursue an advanced degree in two years and one quarter while working full time.

More than 1,800 students have received a degree from the MSOL program since its launch in 2007, including nearly 200 during the past school year. The program saw its largest enrollment this academic year, with more than 600 students registered in fall 2025.

"The recognition reflects the excellent teaching of our dedicated faculty and the commitment of our extraordinary students," said Ah-Hyung "Alissa" Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli. "We take great pride in offering a comprehensive engineering program that meets both industry and student demand, with a rigorous and technically relevant curriculum that best serves working professionals."

With 17 specialized areas of study, MSOL offers a robust curriculum in high-demand fields such as data science engineering, electrical engineering and integrated circuits, mechanical and aerospace engineering, materials science, and engineering management. The program also offers certificates in three specializations and a hybrid option in which students may take up to four courses on campus.

"We are constantly looking for ways to improve our program so we can continue to provide the best possible education," said Song Li, faculty director of MSOL and UCLA Samueli's associate dean for graduate and professional education. "Working with feedback from students, alumni and industry partners, our faculty regularly refine our curriculum to ensure it's up to date and relevant."

The 2026 U.S. News survey evaluated 111 schools that offer online engineering master's programs using metrics specific to online learning.

The rankings were based on five categories. The first three categories - engagement, faculty credentials and training, and peer assessments by senior academic officials at engineering schools - each account for 25% of the overall score. Services and technologies and student excellence each contribute 12.5%. The rankings include only degree-granting programs offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions.