<p>You’d probably get similar answers at the MIT site if you asked how good MIT’s English department is compared to other engineering schools. I disagree that the rankings are only for graduate programs. They reflect the strength of the department in general. In fact, engineering departments in colleges that don’t have graduate programs are never-the-less ranked. I do know that research productivity is a major variable but that is related to quality in all kinds of complex ways. You’d not be hearing that excuse if you were asking about Brown’s math department. Compared to the other Ivy’s few of the departments are rated highly because Brown isn’t the academic power house that other Ivy’s are. It just isn’t. I’m not saying students don’t love being there or that they don’t have a great experience but if you want an academic powerhouse-Brown isn’t it. But that isn’t the question here. The question here is about engineering. I suggest Cornell or Princeton if you want an Ivy and want engineering.</p>