On the Rise: Jacobs School Ranks #9 Best Engineering School in the Nation

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The University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked the #9 engineering school in the nation in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Best Engineering Schools. This is up from #10 last year. The Jacobs School ranks #6 among public schools in the rankings report released April 7, 2026.

The Jacobs School has ranked in the Top 10 in the U.S. News Best Engineering Schools ranking five times in the last seven years. 

“This consistent Top 10 rank is recognition of the impactful and relevant work we do at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Together we power emerging industries and train the innovation workforce for the economy to come,” said Albert P. Pisano, Dean of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and Special Adviser to the Chancellor. “Amid the headwinds of this year, I’m proud that we doubled down on our mission to advance engineering and computer science education, research and innovation for the public good. Thank you to everyone inside and outside the Jacobs School whose hard work and dedication is reflected in this #9 rank.”

Research Funding increases

This #9 rank was bolstered by increasing research expenditures at the Jacobs School of Engineering, which rose 4.2% to $329 million even in a year with nationwide research funding fiscal uncertainty. The near-parity between government and private research funding sources of these research expenditures is a testament to the relevance of Jacobs School research. Approximately 47% of all research funding at the Jacobs School of Engineering comes from industry and philanthropic partnerships, with 53% from government-sponsored research.

The Jacobs School is the #2 engineering school in the nation for research expenditures per faculty member, among the country’s top 40 engineering schools by overall US News & World Report ranking.

Research Impact

The Jacobs School is the #1 public school in the nation for academic papers cited in the top 25% of research journals, among the country’s top 30 engineering schools by overall US News & World Report ranking. This is an indication of the scholarly impact our faculty make in their field, and the real-world impact that our research has. The Jacobs School’s top spot among these prestigious scientific journals reflects the world-class reputation of our faculty and their thought-leadership across engineering and computer science disciplines.

Graduate Program Department Rankings

In addition to the school-wide rankings, US News also ranks many engineering and computer science graduate programs. Jacobs School graduate programs that ranked in the top 30 in the April 2026 US News Best Engineering Schools graduate program rankings are listed below.

Bioengineering: #4 in the nation; #2 public

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence: #10 in the nation; #6 public

Computer Science, Systems: #11 in the nation; #6 public

Computer Science: #12 in the nation; #7 public

Computer Science, Programming Languages: #12 in the nation; #6 public

Computer Engineering: #13 in the nation; #8 public

Electrical Engineering: #14 in the nation; #8 public 

Computer Science, Theory: #15 in the nation; #6 public

Aerospace: #19 in the nation; #14 public

Civil Engineering: #24 in the nation; #15 public

Mechanical Engineering #26 in the nation; #14 public