American Science and Engineering, Inc. Ranked #2 in The Boston Globe 100 Annual List of Massachusetts' Top Performing Companies.

BILLERICA, Mass. -- American Science and Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASEI) (AS&E(R)), a leader in X-ray detection technology, announced today that The Boston Globe has ranked the Company second in this year's Globe 100 list of Massachusetts' 100 top performing public companies. The Globe 100, now in its 18th year, ranks Massachusetts-based public companies based on financial data from the four quarters ending closest to December 31, 2005, and for corresponding quarters a year earlier.

"With all the distinguished publicly-held companies in Massachusetts, it is an honor to be recognized by The Boston Globe as one of its highest achievers," said Anthony R. Fabiano, President and CEO of AS&E. "We attribute much of our success to strong sales of our breakthrough product, the Z(R) Backscatter Van(TM) or ZBV, to the U.S. Department of Defense and metropolitan police departments, as well as international governments for anti-terrorism, force protection, customs and trade fraud, and bomb detection."

Fabiano continued, "This has been an outstanding year, and we have been, and continue to be keenly focused on building bridges with customers by listening and responding to their unique requirements for products, services, and technologies."

About AS&E(R)

American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E) is the leading worldwide supplier of innovative X-ray inspection and screening systems. With more than 45 years of experience in developing advanced X-ray security systems, the Company's product line utilizes a variety of technologies, including patented Z(R) Backscatter(TM), Shaped Energy(TM) and Radioactive Threat Detection (RTD). These technologies offer superior detection of threats including plastic explosives, plastic weapons, illegal drugs, other contraband, dirty bombs and nuclear devices. AS&E offers a complete range of X-ray inspection products including Z Backscatter screening systems, CargoSearch(TM), and ParcelSearch(TM) inspection systems, used for critical detection and security applications to combat terrorism, drug and weapon smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal immigration. AS&E customers include leading governmental agencies, border authorities, military bases, airports and corporations worldwide, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Royal Thai Police, HM Customs & Excise (U.K.) and Hong Kong Customs. For more information on AS&E products and technologies, please visit www.as-e.com.

Safe Harbor Statement. The foregoing press release contains statements concerning AS&E's financial performance, markets and business operations that may be considered "forward-looking" under applicable securities laws. AS&E wishes to caution readers of this press release that actual results might differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Factors which might cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements contained herein include the following: significant reductions or delays in procurements of the Company's systems by the United States and other governments; disruption in the supply of any source component incorporated into AS&E's products; litigation seeking to restrict the use of intellectual property used by the Company; potential product liability claims against the Company; global political trends and events which affect public perception of the threat presented by drugs, explosives and other contraband; global economic developments and the ability of governments and private organizations to fund purchases of the Company's products to address such threats; and the potential insufficiency of Company resources, including human resources, capital, plant and equipment and management systems, to accommodate any future growth, and future delays in federal funding. These and certain other factors which might cause actual results to differ materially from those projected are detailed from time to time in AS&E's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which important factors are incorporated herein by reference. AS&E undertakes no obligation to update forward looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time.