ABET
Accreditation:
What It Is & Why It Matters

What Is ABET?

ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is the gold-standard accrediting body for engineering, computing, and technology programs in the United States and internationally. When a program is ABET-accredited, it means an independent panel of professionals has reviewed it and determined it meets established standards for curriculum quality, faculty qualifications, student outcomes, and institutional support.

There are currently over 4,300 ABET-accredited programs at more than 850 colleges and universities worldwide. If you're in the U.S., the most relevant accreditations for engineering students are under ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC).

Why It Actually Matters

ABET accreditation isn't just a prestige marker. It has concrete, practical consequences for your career in three major areas:

1. The PE License

If you ever want to become a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) — which many engineering careers require or strongly benefit from — you almost certainly need a degree from an ABET-accredited program. Most state licensing boards mandate it as a condition of eligibility to sit for the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam, the first step toward licensure. A non-accredited degree can lock you out of this path entirely.

2. Federal Government and Defense Jobs

Many federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, NASA, and the Army Corps of Engineers, require an ABET-accredited degree as a baseline hiring requirement. If you're targeting a government engineering job or a defense contractor position — which are some of the highest-paying and most stable engineering roles — a non-accredited degree may disqualify you from consideration before your resume is even reviewed.

3. Employer Recognition

A large percentage of major engineering employers screen for ABET accreditation in their applicant tracking systems. This is especially true in industries like aerospace, civil engineering, and nuclear engineering where professional standards are tightly regulated. In software engineering, the bar is lower — but even there, top employers often filter by ABET or equivalent program quality markers.

How to Check If a Program Is Accredited

The process is straightforward. ABET maintains a public database at abet.org where you can search any institution or program. Always verify accreditation status directly — don't rely on a university's marketing materials, which can be misleading about accreditation status or use language like "ABET-equivalent" (which has no formal meaning).

What About Online Engineering Degrees?

Online engineering programs can be ABET-accredited — and increasingly are. The key is to verify the specific online program, not just the university's in-person version. Some schools offer ABET-accredited online versions of their programs; others do not. The same rules apply: if you need a PE license or are targeting government or defense work, ABET accreditation is non-negotiable regardless of delivery format.

International Students

If you earned your engineering degree outside the U.S. and are pursuing a career or licensure here, ABET accreditation of your foreign program is often evaluated through equivalency agreements. Many countries have mutual recognition agreements with ABET (Washington Accord, Seoul Accord, Sydney Accord). Check whether your country is a signatory — if it is, your accredited degree from that country is likely recognized as equivalent for U.S. PE licensing purposes.