The Grainger College of Engineering
Civil & Environmental Engineering

CEE grad programs top in the nation in US News & World Report

4/7/2026

The civil engineering graduate program at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has again ranked No. 1 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Environmental engineering ranked No. 5.

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CEE graduate student on 2026 Global Leaders in Construction Management visit to a floating solar farm outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
CEE graduate student on 2026 Global Leaders in Construction Management visit to a floating solar farm outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The department of civil & environmental engineering has been ranked the No. 1 best civil engineering graduate program by U.S. News & World Report. For more than a decade, the program has oscillated between the No. 1 and No. 2 spot, with this year marking a third consecutive stint as the nation's top overall program. 

The department's environmental engineering graduate program also received a top-5 nod, being named the No. 5 best environmental engineering graduate program.

All academic programs in the department of civil & environmental engineering consistently rank among the top in the nation. In January, the online civil engineering master’s degree program ranked No. 2, continuing to ranking in the top two positions for the sixth year in a row for online master's programs. The undergraduate civil and environmental engineering programs are currently ranked No. 4 and No. 3, respectively. See more facts and figures about the department here.

The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's graduate school ranked No. 6 overall. For information about other Illinois Grainger Engineering departments, visit the college's rankings page. Rankings were released on April 8, 2025.

 

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This story was published April 7, 2026.