EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The University of Texas at El Paso’s computer science and nursing programs have been ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report.
The magazine recognized UTEP’s undergraduate computer science and nursing programs as among the best in the nation in its December issue of Best Colleges.
U.S. News & World Report also listed UTEP as part of the Top 100 colleges for social mobility among national universities.
“We are incredibly proud that U.S. News & World Report has recognized UTEP’s our computer science program as among the best in the nation,” Kennith Meissner, Ph.D., dean of the UTEP College of Engineering, said.
Meissner attributed the recognition to the dedication of faculty and staff, the creativity and drive of students, and strong partnerships supporting the university’s mission.
UTEP’s Department of Computer Science offers a Bachelor’s and Minor in Computer Science with concentrations in secure cyber systems, software engineering, and data analytics.
According to the university, UTEP computer science students have consistently excelled nationally, securing internships and jobs at major companies such as Google and Microsoft.
Additionally, a team of undergraduates recently placed eighth in a national cybersecurity competition, outranking over 50 schools, including The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M.
Similarly, UTEP’s nursing program has seen a surge in enrollment by more than 12%.
“This ranking is a testament to our excellent nursing program,” Leslie Robbins, Ph.D., dean of the College of Nursing, said, emphasizing the program’s commitment to preparing compassionate, culturally competent nurses ready to meet complex healthcare needs.
According to the university, UTEP’s NCLEX-RN examination pass rate is historically above the national average of 86.6%.
The U.S. News rankings are based on a national reputational survey of academics and peers.
The social mobility score measures a university’s success in serving Pell Grant recipients, students from families with exceptional financial need.
“We typically don’t look at the main U.S. News rankings because they are heavily weighted based on how exclusive a university is,” Lucas Roebuck, UTEP’s vice president for marketing and communications, said. “That being said, these specific program rankings do not penalize UTEP for providing access to excellence, so we appreciate the shout out from U.S. News for our excellent nursing and computer science programs.”
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