16
August
2007
|
18:00 PM
America/New_York

Ohio State earns high marks in two national surveys

COLUMBUS – The Ohio State University has been recognized as one of the nation's top public universities in two recently released national surveys.

Ohio State is again ranked 19th among the nation's top 50 public universities, according to the U.S. News & World Report's 2008 edition of America's Best Colleges released today. And Ohio State is rated 10th among national public institutions in the Washington Monthly College Guide, released yesterday.

The third annual Washington Monthly College Guide, which measures what colleges are doing to benefit the country, rates Ohio State 12th in the nation and 10th among public institutions.
Ohio State interim president Joseph Alutto said the rankings reflect ongoing progress at Ohio State. "Ohio State is about access to excellence and these rankings reflect our commitment to become one of the world's greatest public research and teaching universities. The rankings are the result of the dedication and hard work of university faculty, staff and students," he said.

The Washington Monthly guide considers three indicators: how well a school performs as an engine of social mobility, its success in fostering scientific and humanistic research, and its achievements in promoting an ethic of service to the country. Scores include the percentage of students on Pell Grants, which is considered a measure of commitment to educating lower-income students; total research expenditures; the percentage of alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps; and the percentage of students enrolled in ROTC.

U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on peer assessment, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance, and alumni contributions.

Among public institutions, Ohio State ranks alone at 19th this year (last year the university was tied at 19th with the University of Pittsburgh). The publication also ranked Ohio State 57th among all national universities, both public and private, unchanged from last year.

U.S. News rankings, which are based on 2006 statistics, note improvement in several categories. The percentage of freshmen in the top 10% of their high school class increased from 39% to 43%; and freshman retention improved from 89 to 90%.

The publication also lists three Ohio State initiatives as outstanding examples of programs linked to student success. The university's First Year Experience (FYE) program is recognized for helping connect first-year students to the university and the larger community. The publication also cites Ohio State's Learning Communities, residential programs which allow students to take courses as a group. And for the first time ever, Ohio State's Undergraduate Research program is noted among programs that allow students to do intensive and self-directed research.

In addition to the overall institutional rankings, the magazine also annually ranks undergraduate programs in business and engineering. Among both private and public universities, Ohio State's Fisher College of Business was rated 12th in the nation, up from 18 last year. Among public universities, the program is rated 7th.

Among Ph.D.-granting private and public colleges, Ohio State's College of Engineering is rated 25th overall and 14th among publics in the category.

Founded in 1870, Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 50,500 students enrolled at its main Columbus campus, 18 colleges and 170 majors, the university offers its students exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions.

Below are the top public universities according to each survey:

The Top 20 Public National Universities
(U.S. News & World Report)

1. Univ. of California–Berkeley
2. University of Virginia
3. U. of California–Los Angeles
3. Univ. of Michigan–Ann Arbor
5. UNC–Chapel Hill
6. College of William and Mary (VA)
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
8. Univ. of California–San Diego
8. University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
8. Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison
11. University of California–Davis
11. University of Washington
13. University of California–Irvine
13. U. of Calif.–Santa Barbara
13. University of Texas–Austin
16. Pennsylvania State U.–University Park
17. University of Florida
18. Univ. of Maryland–College Park
19. Ohio State Univ.–Columbus
20. Rutgers, the State Univ. of New Jersey–New Brunswick
20. University of Georgia
20. University of Pittsburgh

The Top 10 Public National Universities
(Washington Monthly)

1. Texas A&M University
2. University of California, Los Angeles
3. University of California, Berkeley
4. University of California, San Diego
5. Pennsylvania State University, University Park
6. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
7. University of California, Davis
8. South Carolina State University
9. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
10. Ohio State University, Columbus

The Top 20 Public and Private Universities
(Washington Monthly)

1. Texas A&M University
2. University of California, Los Angeles
3. University of California, Berkeley
4. University of California, San Diego
5. Pennsylvania State University, University Park
6. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
7. Cornell University (NY)
8. University of California, Davis
9. Stanford University (CA)
10. South Carolina State University
11. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
12. Ohio State University, Columbus
13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
14. University of Washington
15. University of California, Riverside
16. University of Virginia
17. University of Pennsylvania
18. University of Wisconsin, Madison
19. University of Texas, Austin
20. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill