ABET Accreditation Explained: What It Means for Engineering Students and How to Check a Program

If you are choosing an engineering program in the United States, one of the first things to check is whether the specific degree is accredited by ABET. Accreditation will not tell you which program is best for you, but it sets a quality floor, affects professional licensing, and determines how your degree is recognized in other countries. This guide explains what ABET accreditation is, how the review works (using Rutgers University’s 2025 review as an example), and how international students should use it when picking a program, as of November 2026.

What ABET is

ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. It accredits individual degree programs, not whole universities, at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s levels; most accredited programs are bachelor’s degrees. According to ABET, it accredits 4,863 programs at 950 colleges and universities in 42 countries and regions (ABET: About ABET). Its criteria are written by volunteers from 34 member professional societies, and more than 2,000 professionals from academia, industry and government take part in reviews (ABET: Why accreditation matters).

Engineering programs are reviewed by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). Separate commissions cover computing (CAC), engineering technology (ETAC) and applied and natural science (ANSAC), so a computer science degree, for example, may be accredited by the CAC rather than the EAC.

How a review works: the Rutgers example

Accredited programs are reviewed at least every six years. In November 2025, Rutgers University–New Brunswick announced that all nine of its undergraduate engineering programs (aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical and computer, environmental, industrial, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering) had earned full accreditation. The year-long review assessed the 2023–24 academic year and included a self-study report, a visit by ABET reviewers, and an evaluation of student outcomes, curriculum, faculty and continuous improvement. “All nine programs passed with no concerns, weaknesses or deficiencies,” said Alberto Cuitiño, dean of the School of Engineering (Rutgers, Nov. 12, 2025).

The Rutgers announcement also shows the kind of data worth asking any engineering school for: in the review year, the Rutgers–New Brunswick School of Engineering had 4,115 undergraduates and 166 faculty members and awarded 826 bachelor’s degrees; more than 60% of its engineering students completed internships and more than 30% took part in undergraduate research.

New programs and accreditation timing

A program cannot be accredited until it has graduates. ABET requires a program seeking initial accreditation to have at least one graduate before the academic year in which the on-site review takes place (ABET: Program eligibility requirements). When a new program is accredited, the accreditation can be applied retroactively to cover recent graduating classes, and ABET’s FAQ says retroactive accreditation is limited to two years (ABET FAQ).

Boston College’s Human-Centered Engineering program is a recent example: its first students graduated in May 2025, and the program earned ABET accreditation in September 2026, effective retroactively from 2024 so that the first graduating class is covered (BC News, fall 2026). In practice, this means a brand-new engineering major will not be accredited when you enroll. That is normal, but ask the school when it plans to apply and whether accreditation is expected to cover your graduating class.

Why accreditation matters

Professional licensing: In the U.S., becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) usually requires an engineering degree, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, several years of work experience, and passing the PE exam. The FE exam from NCEES is designed for recent graduates and students close to finishing an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree; it is a 110-question computer-based exam with a $225 fee (NCEES: FE exam). Graduates of non-accredited programs may face extra requirements set by each state board. Licensing matters most in civil, environmental, structural and power engineering.
Employers: ABET notes that many licensing bodies and some multinational employers require graduation from an accredited program.
International recognition: ABET is a signatory of the Washington Accord, under which member organizations recognize each other’s accredited engineering bachelor’s degrees as substantially equivalent. Signatories include organizations in China, India, the U.K., Canada, Japan, South Korea and others (International Engineering Alliance: Washington Accord signatories). For students who may work outside the U.S. after graduation, this is a practical reason to prefer an accredited program.

How to check and use it when choosing a program

Search the program, not the school. ABET’s accredited program search lists each program, its commission and the date accreditation began. A university can have accredited and non-accredited engineering degrees side by side, and the same major can be accredited at one campus but not another.
Treat it as a floor. Almost all established engineering bachelor’s programs at research universities are accredited, so beyond that, compare program rankings, lab and project facilities, co-op and internship rates, and class sizes.
Graduate study is different. ABET accreditation applies mostly to bachelor’s degrees. For master’s and Ph.D. programs, research areas, faculty and funding matter much more.
STEM OPT is separate. Eligibility for the 24-month STEM OPT extension depends on the degree’s CIP code being on the Department of Homeland Security’s STEM Designated Degree Program List, not on ABET accreditation. Engineering CIP codes (14.xx) are on the list (DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List).

For school-by-school data, see our U.S. college rankings and the school profiles linked from each ranking.

References

#Rutgers University-New Brunswick #Engineering Education