Two Years in a Row: ACC named among best Engineering Degree Programs in the nation by Intelligent.com

Submitted by jessicavess on Thu, 12/16/2021 - 3:44pm

For the second year in a row, Austin Community College District (ACC) is ranked with the best engineering associate degree in the nation. The recent report, released by Intelligent.com, compared 704 programs from 2,900 universities and colleges nationwide. 

Each program was ranked on a scale from 0 to 100 across five categories: program strength, student readiness, return on investment, cost, and student engagement. 

“Experts at Intelligent.com assessed programs that help students enhance and develop advanced skills for a variety of in-demand positions,” says the report. “(We found that) Austin Community College District offers flexible distance learning that appeals to busy adults or hybrid models that include on-campus and online formats.”

ACC’s Engineering Program offers virtual, in-person, and hybrid course options that lead to transferable associate degrees in four high-demand engineering specialties and a general degree option. ACC also has a co-enrollment partnership with Texas A&M University that provides a seamless pathway to an A&M engineering degree. 

Engineering remains a top industry in Central Texas. The Austin Chamber of Commerce expects the demand for engineers to reach more than 4,800 in 2022. 

“The biggest thing that makes engineering exciting is we solve problems and, in doing so, we get to change the world,” says Shana Shaw, ACC Engineering professor. “I like to know how things work and why they work that way. Engineering is a great pathway to do this.”

The recognition for Best Associate Degree in Engineering is one ​​of five awarded to ACC in Intelligent.com’s recent rankings. Other awards include: 

Intelligent.com is a national research group that provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. For more information about its ranking process, visit Intelligent.com’s ranking methodology.