The University of Tulsa’s renowned McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering rose from sixth to third in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 graduate school rankings, the publication announced this week. The new rankings mean UTulsa’s petroleum engineering graduate program is now third in the nation overall and No. 1 among private universities.
In addition, the College of Engineering & Computer Science jumped 13 places in the rankings among national universities – from 149 to 136 – as well as two places among private universities – from 43 to 41.
Under the leadership of Dean Andreas A. Polycarpou, Ph.D., who arrived at UTulsa less than two years ago, the College of Engineering & Computer Science has attracted high-caliber faculty and students, reinvigorated current faculty, and been awarded significant external research funding from the federal government and industry.
“The rise in the U.S. News rankings is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, students, and research teams,” said Polycarpou, the James R. Sorem Inaugural Dean of the College of Engineering & Computer Science. “Ranking No. 1 for private petroleum engineering graduate programs is a laudable achievement. It is evidence of the impactful contributions we’re making in advancing both knowledge and technology.”
UTulsa’s petroleum engineering program gives research faculty and graduate students on-campus access to state-of-the-art equipment, such as a drilling simulator and labs to examine thermofluids and porous materials, in Stephenson Hall. At the North Campus facility, master’s and doctoral students conduct experiments with experienced faculty on an operational multiphase flow loop while working with industry partners. UTulsa’s engineering consortia conduct traditional and transitional energy research with multinational corporations, government agencies, and colleagues from across the college.
One of the areas primed for collaborative work is energy security, which brings together petroleum engineering, computer engineering, and cyber security expertise. This spring, the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering welcomed a new chair, Hazem Refai, Ph.D., who is committed to advancing innovative research across disciplines.
The U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 graduate school rankings shine a light on the quality of work going on in the College of Engineering & Computer Science at The University of Tulsa. Faculty and graduate students are regularly published in highly regarded journals, present at global conferences, and carry out studies that benefit Fortune 100 companies while securing our nation’s infrastructure.