UCLA’s online engineering master’s program ranked No. 1 for three years in a row

For the third consecutive year, 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 seventh time in 11 years the program has earned the top spot.

High student engagement, diverse and flexible teaching methods and world-class faculty contributed to UCLA's Master of Science in Engineering Online program, or MSOL, topping the 2025 U.S. News Best Online Programs survey. UCLA Samueli has placed No. 1 or 2 since 2014, two years after the publication launched the rankings.

Students enrolled in the program are taught by the same faculty who teach regular master's classes on campus. Lectures are recorded in class 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 study when it's convenient and earn a master's degree in engineering in two years and a quarter while working full time.

More than 1,700 students have received a degree from the MSOL program since its launch in 2007, including nearly 200 during the past school year. This academic year, the program saw its largest-ever enrollment, with 549 students registered in fall 2024.

"Receiving this top rank for the third time in a row demonstrates the ongoing commitment to excellence from both our students and faculty," said Ah-Hyung "Alissa" Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli. "Our program successfully meets the demands of industry by teaching critical skills and technical knowledge required of professionals in the workforce."

With 16 specialized areas of study, MSOL offers a robust curriculum in high-demand areas, such as data science engineering, reliability engineering, integrated circuits, aerospace engineering and sustainable water engineering. The program also offers a hybrid option, where students already enrolled in the program may take up to four courses on campus.

"By continuously improving our curriculum specializations in industry-relevant areas, we deliver top results for our students," said Jenn-Ming Yang, faculty director of MSOL and UCLA Samueli's associate dean for international initiatives and online programs. "We constantly incorporate feedback from both our industry partners and students to make sure we design and teach courses that provide the best experience."

The 2025 U.S. News survey evaluated 112 schools that offer online engineering master's degree programs using metrics specific to online learning. The rankings were based on five categories - engagement, faculty credentials and training, peer assessments by senior academic officials at engineering schools, services and technologies and student excellence. The rankings only include degree-granting programs offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions.