Penn's undergraduate School of Engineering and Applied Science has dropped from No. 25 to No. 28, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report national rankings.
"It is frustrating that the [Engineering] school never does well in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, but it is understandable because Penn Engineering is atypical," Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt said.
The primary reason for the low ranking, Glandt believes, is the uncharacteristically small size of SEAS.
"Big public universities fare much better in the rankings ... under the implicit assumption that 'big is good,'" Engineering Associate Dean Norman Badler said. "Penn's smaller size and ability to foster a closer student-faculty relationship will not be reflected in the U.S. News ranking categories."
SEAS graduates are also atypical, according to Glandt, in that they usually do not directly enter the engineering work force like "classical engineers."
Instead, he said, they usually continue on to law, medical or business school.
"We'll graduate ... people with a broader education, who not only understand technology but also understand how to manage it," Glandt said.
U.S. News ranks schools with undergraduate programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The rankings are based solely on the ratings by deans and senior faculty of the schools on a scale of one to five.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped the list with a rating of 4.9, and Stanford University followed closely with a 4.8.
SEAS students have mixed feelings about the rankings.
"The better Penn Engineering ranks, the easier it will be for me to find a job after I graduate in two years," said Bella Sorkin, a sophomore majoring in computer science and engineering.
However, Sorkin realizes rankings do not mean everything.
"I still get to take cooler, more interesting classes than most of my engineering friends at other schools, and I definitely feel like I am learning a lot," she added.
SEAS students and faculty have much to be excited about in the upcoming years.
In addition to the current construction of Skirkanich Hall, the new home for the bioengineering program, there are tentative plans for a nanotechnology building, which are supported by President Amy Gutmann. Also, this year, professor Dan Koditschek from the University of Michigan is the new chairman for electrical and systems engineering.
Badler also said he is not discouraged by the rankings.
"We always seek to hire the best faculty available, improve research funding, continually improve undergraduate admissions, evolve the curricula, strengthen advising and guide our students into interesting and productive careers," he said. "Our goal is to move significantly upward among our private-school peers."
Conversely, the Wharton School has been the top undergraduate business school since 2000, and the University was ranked No. 4 in the nation this year, according to U.S. News. Undergraduate nursing schools are not ranked.
