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ASU Engineering online master’s degree programs rise in US News rankings

Fulton Schools features three programs ranked in the top 10 for 2025

by | Jan 21, 2025 | Features, Fulton Schools

Hongbin Yu (right), a professor of electrical engineering, points at a computer monitor connected to equipment while students look on in a lab. ASU’s electrical engineering online master’s degree program is No. 1 in the nation. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University has further solidified its reputation as a trailblazer in online engineering education. U.S. News & World Report ranked the Fulton Schools No. 12 overall for online master’s degree programs in engineering for 2025, with three programs ranked in the top 10 for their specialty areas.

“The latest U.S. News rankings demonstrate our dedication to making quality engineering education accessible to all,” says Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools and ASU’s senior vice provost of engineering, computing and technology. “We strive for our students to go on to fulfilling careers that meet industry needs around the world, so we offer our curricula via online modalities that provide the same academic rigor and engagement as the on-campus experience.”

The Fulton Schools’ online delivery method of its degree programs enables more than 11,000 students to complete the same high-quality degree programs as on-campus students with the flexibility of remote learning. Fulton Schools online students receive instruction and conduct research under the same award-winning faculty as those on campus. Online students also have access to identical resources and support as those completing their degrees in person and have the same opportunities to meet industry, societal and individual needs.

The Fulton Schools ranked in the top 10 in the following disciplines, all of which rose from last year’s rankings:

  • No. 1 in electrical engineering. For the fifth consecutive year, online delivery of the electrical engineering master’s degree program was ranked in the top five, this time earning the top spot. Electrical engineering master’s degree students gain knowledge to specialize in one or more of a variety of fields, including power generation and transmission, microelectronics, wireless communications, solar technology and more.

    The electrical engineering ranking comes amid rapid growth in Arizona’s microelectronics industry. Industry giant TSMC is constructing fabrication facilities in north Phoenix, and more companies are expanding their presence in the Valley of the Sun in the wake of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which provided funding to advance semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. ASU has made strides in supporting this new microelectronics growth by expanding collaborations and initiatives. The university leads the Southwest Advanced Prototyping Hub, or SWAP Hub, one of eight U.S. Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons Hubs in the country whose research is underway to advance semiconductor research and development in the U.S.

    Several ASU faculty members with expertise in electrical engineering are contributing to these efforts. In conjunction with initiatives like the SWAP Hub, ASU Research Park is set to host new microelectronics facilities and infrastructure, including the National Semiconductor Technology Center Prototyping and NAPMP Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, a facility with billions of dollars in investments and new jobs planned; and the Materials-to-Fab Center, a $270 million space in the MacroTechnology Works building, a collaboration with Applied Materials and the Arizona Commerce Authority.

  • No. 3 in engineering management. Engineering management combines sharp technical skills, knowledge of manufacturing and strong business acumen to create leaders capable of guiding large teams through complex industrial scenarios. The online nature of the program allows the degree to be completed in tandem with an engineer’s work for their current employer.
  • No. 6 in industrial engineering. Developed by globally recognized trailblazers such as Regents Professor Douglas Montgomery, who teaches in the Fulton Schools industrial engineering program, the online delivery method of the master’s degree in industrial engineering provides students with the advanced training needed to oversee strategic planning of manufacturing and logistics operations in sectors such as health care, food flow, transportation and energy systems. Students increasingly innovate novel artificial intelligence technology to aid in this work.

    “Our online engineering management and industrial engineering graduate degree programs are designed to prepare professionals for leadership roles in fast-moving careers,” says Ross Maciejewski, a Fulton Schools professor of computer science and engineering and director of the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. “These new rankings are a testament to the efforts of our faculty to create innovative learning models that deliver impactful results for our graduates.”

Jeff Goss, executive director of the Fulton Schools Global Outreach and Extended Education office, says the new rankings are a testament to the prowess of the Fulton Schools’ online delivery method of its engineering programs.

“I’m proud to see how well the Fulton Schools performed in the new online engineering education rankings,” Goss says. “We at Global Outreach and Extended Education take pride in ensuring that the online delivery method for Fulton Schools programs produces engineers of the highest caliber, and our numerous high rankings reflect that.”

The Fulton Schools also ranked highly as a destination for veterans earning their degrees.

  • No. 7 in engineering programs for veterans. ASU has a long history of supporting veteran students, with a variety of resources available such as the Pat Tillman Veterans Center. The Fulton Schools aims to provide an environment conducive to helping veterans and active-duty military members receive a fulfilling education that translates into post-military service careers.

Much of ASU’s success in online education can be credited to the well-developed support system the university offers. Online students have support from advisers for academics, enrollment and financial aid, as well as success coaches available to help online students find a healthy balance of education, work and personal time in their lives.

The support online students receive continues after graduation, with the Fulton Schools Career Center offering career coaching, virtual career fairs and online tutorials and presentations to aid in job searches for students and alumni.

U.S. News & World Report computed its rankings from among 112 institutions offering online master’s degrees in engineering. Schools were ranked across multiple categories, including student engagement and access to their professors and instructors, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, student excellence and expert opinions.

See the complete list of 2025 Best Online Engineering Programs Rankings on the U.S. News & World Report website.

  • #1 Electrical Engineering - Best Online master's in engineering programs - U.S. News & World Report, 2025

About The Author

TJ Triolo

TJ Triolo is a marketing and communications project coordinator in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He's a 2020 graduate of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. After starting his career in marketing and communications with a car wash company in Arizona, he joined the Fulton Schools communications team in 2022.

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