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<blockquote> <p>I would actually argue that ABET certification is a very minor consideration. Plenty of highly prestigious and rigorous programs are not certified, and plenty of no-name programs are certified. For example, the bioengineering programs at MIT and Berkeley are not certified. Materials Science at both Berkeley and Stanford are not certified. Yet I think very few people would dispute that these some of the top programs in the country, certification or not.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>ABET certification can be very important or quite unimportant, depending on your field. No US state currently licenses bioengineers or materials scientists. So ABET accreditation has no legal significance in these fields, and many schools do not bother with it. For the same reason, many top schools (e.g. Stanford) forego ABET accreditation in computer science.</p>
<p>But...if you study in a field like civil, mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering, then ABET degrees have much more value and prestige than non-ABET degrees. All states issue licenses in these disciplines, and they all give preferred legal status to graduates of ABET-accredited programs. In some states (e.g. Florida), ABET degrees are strictly <em>required</em> for engineering licensure. And private employers commonly discriminate in the same manner as the government; ABET degrees are commonly preferred or required in industry, even for positions where licenses are not legally necessary.</p>
<p>So virtually every respectable engineering school -- including Stanford, Berkeley, and MIT -- is ABET-accredited in traditional engineering disciplines like Civil or Mechanical. I challenge you to find an exception (new programs that are still in the process of earning ABET accreditation, like Olin, don't count.)</p>