University of the Pacific’s School of Engineering and Computer Science surged in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, rising 55 spots to No. 44 among undergraduate engineering programs nationwide.

The jump, the largest among the Top 100 engineering schools, places Pacific among the top 15% of the 306 undergraduate engineering programs ranked nationally. 

The school’s rise in rankings comes alongside a striking increase in the number of students who return for their second year. This year, 93% of first-year engineering students returned.

Dean Elizabeth Orwin said the progress reflects several years of strategic work to strengthen the student experience, expand faculty engagement and raise the school’s national profile.

“We have really focused on providing more opportunities for our students, whether that is supporting them with funding for a project or to present at a conference or connecting them with companies to gain hands-on internship experience,” she said. 

Orwin credits some of the success to a series of classes that all first-year engineering students now take. The Interdisciplinary Design and Entrepreneurship in Action courses, referred to as IDEA, are hands-on classes that focus on student engagement, collaboration, design and problem solving. 

In the IDEA 20 class last year, students were tasked with designing a device for real patients to help them with daily tasks. One group created a communication app; another designed a fidget board using a 3D printer.

“We want our students to approach engineering and computer science with curiosity and creativity,” Orwin said. “It’s about teaching them to make connections, think beyond the obvious and use their knowledge to develop solutions that have real value.” 

The school is also connecting students with academic and personal support earlier in their college experience. Through a partnership with Student Life and the First-Year Experience, student advising is embedded into the school’s courses, giving faculty an earlier opportunity to connect with students and offer additional support.

Students are empowered to build community on campus and are given opportunities to expand their professional community locally and nationally. 

“Our students are participating in hackathons, attending national conferences and getting involved in opportunities that really contribute to a culture of engagement and retention,” Orwin said.

One group of students placed third in the MIT hacking medicine competition earlier this year, where they worked collaboratively to pitch a startup that addresses a problem in health care. Students in Pacific’s Solar Car Club took their car to the Formula Sun Grand Prix over the summer, where they took to the course for the first time.  

The school has also invested heavily in faculty development through the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network. The national partnership of about 70 universities is committed to developing an entrepreneurial mindset in undergraduate engineering students. Pacific joined two years ago.

The organization provides faculty with professional development, teaching resources and opportunities to collaborate with engineering educators across the country.

“We're trying to transform the engineering education by developing students' mindset in addition to their skill set. The combination of these things is really powerful and better prepares them to succeed in their careers,” Orwin said. “Through this partnership, our faculty have access to resources and materials that teach them about active learning in classrooms and how to help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset.”

Over the past two years, nearly 20 faculty members have attended the organization’s national conference and others have taken part in faculty learning communities and leadership development trainings.

“After several years of building these programs and opportunities, it feels like all of that work is finally coming together. And it’s important to recognize that this has been a team effort. Our faculty, staff, assistant and associate deans have all played a role in working toward building our engineering students into the most dynamic and successful professionals they can be.”

Learn more about the School of Engineering and Computer Science.