Wright State’s Industrial and Human Factors Engineering program named one of top online graduate programs by U.S. News

Ranked among the nation’s top online engineering programs, Wright State University’s Master of Science in Industrial and Human Factors Engineering program continues to earn recognition for its academic quality, student engagement and flexibility for working professionals.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Wright State program No. 2 in Ohio and No. 33 nationally in its 2026 Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs rankings, placing it in the top third of 111 programs evaluated across the country.

The program, offered by Wright State’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, was evaluated based on factors including student engagement, faculty credentials and training, services and technology and student excellence. Rankings were calculated using data reported by institutions and results from a peer reputation survey.

“We are excited to be among the top third of online industrial and human factors engineering programs in the nation. It is a testament to the quality of our online program to consistently be ranked highly by U.S. News for the last decade,” said Jim Menart, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of the Department of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering. “It is the goal and desire of the faculty and staff in the Industrial and Human Factors Engineering program to deliver our students the best quality program we possibly can.”

Wright State’s Master of Science in Industrial and Human Factors Engineering program was ranked 17th overall for student engagement, reflecting strong opportunities for interaction between students and faculty and a supportive learning environment.

Designed with flexibility in mind, the master’s degree can be completed fully online or through a combination of online and in-person courses. Students work closely with a faculty advisor to develop a plan of study tailored to their professional goals.

Areas of concentration include logistics and supply chain, operations research, data science and human factors and ergonomics. Students may also participate in research opportunities in supply chain and logistics; data science; human factors and cognitive engineering; human factors, ergonomics and user experience; neuroengineering; and optimization and operations research.

The program prepares graduates to design and operate complex systems across industries such as health care, manufacturing, aerospace, distribution and retail. Many alumni have pursued careers as process, manufacturing, and quality engineers; usability and user-experience professionals; and operations, management, data and business analysts.

Industrial engineers utilize the tools of simulation, optimization, computing and statistics to design and improve modern technology-laden systems. Human factors engineers design systems that effectively integrate human abilities and limitations with machines and tools.

Industrial engineers apply tools such as simulation, optimization, computing and statistics to improve modern systems, while human factors engineers design systems that effectively integrate human abilities and limitations with machines and tools.

Additional Wright State programs recognized

In addition to industrial and human factors engineering, Wright State earned recognition in several U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Online Programs ranking categories:

• Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans
• Best Online MBA Programs
• Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs