Daytona Beach – September 22, 2026 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University secured eight top-five rankings and 11 top-10 honors in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, published Sept. 22, reinforcing its position as a primary talent pipeline for aerospace, defense and aviation employers.
Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses both rank No. 2 in their regions
The Daytona Beach, Florida campus and the Prescott, Arizona campus each earned the No. 2 Overall Rank among regional colleges in the South and West, respectively, according to the rankings. Daytona Beach also took No. 1 in the Top Private Colleges list and No. 3 in Most Innovative Schools, while ranking No. 2 for veteran-focused programs.
Prescott holds No. 1 veterans ranking for sixth straight year
Among Western colleges, the Prescott Campus retained the No. 1 spot in the Best for Veterans category for the sixth consecutive year. Prescott also ranked No. 2 in Top Private Colleges and No. 8 in Best Value Schools, a metric weighing academic quality against net cost after financial aid.
Aerospace engineering programs claim national top-six and top-one spots
Embry-Riddle's undergraduate Aerospace Engineering program at Daytona Beach ranked No. 6 nationally among programs offering a doctoral option, placing it among the country's elite engineering institutions in the Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical category. Prescott's undergraduate Aerospace Engineering program ranked No. 1 nationally for the second consecutive year among schools without a Ph.D. option in the same category.
College of Engineering Dean Jim Gregory attributed the results to faculty expertise and cross-disciplinary research resources supporting student-led engineering projects.
Online undergraduate degrees rank No. 11 nationally among private institutions
Earlier in 2026, U.S. News rated Embry-Riddle's online undergraduate degree programs the highest among private institutions and No. 11 in the nation overall. The university enrolls more than 31,000 students across its two residential campuses, over 115 Worldwide Campus locations and online programs.
Prescott Campus Chancellor Ken Witcher said graduates entering aerospace, aviation and space sectors reflect demand from employers seeking highly skilled technical professionals.