When U.S. News and World Report published its “America’s Best Colleges 2009” edition recently, the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has been ranked in the top 10 as one of the best undergraduate agricultural engineering programs in the nation.

Ranked #8, it is the highest rating in this poll for any of the OSU engineering departments.

U.S. News and World Report collects data from more than 1,400 colleges to compile its annual rankings. Schools that are considered in an undergraduate engineering survey must have a program recognized by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Deans and senior faculty rates only those programs with which they have familiarity. According to the magazine, “Research at the graduate level often influences the undergraduate curriculum, and schools with doctoral programs in engineering tend to have the widest possible range of offerings.” The magazine also solicited nominations for the best engineering programs in specialty areas.

U.S. News and World Report also ranked The Ohio State University 14th among national universities in the new "up and coming" category, which is based on schools that have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities. In addition, the university ranked 19th among the nation's top 50 public universities.

To be recognized as one of the top ten engineering programs in the country points to the well-structured and innovated strategy that the department has for educating new professionals in this field. The Department has a reputation for its outstanding faculty and staff, and for their work in the classroom and in communities and agricultural environments across the state and nation. The Department has programs/majors in agricultural engineering, agricultural systems management, biological engineering, construction systems management, ecological engineering, food engineering, and pre-med/pre-vet.