AMES, Iowa -- U.S. News & World Report has ranked Iowa State University 36th among 162 public national universities, up from 38th last year. Iowa State's current ranking is a tie with North Carolina State -- Raleigh.
Iowa State is tied for 81st in the "Best National Universities" category, which contains 248 colleges and universities (162 public and 86 private) that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees. ISU's current ranking is a move up four spots from 85th in the same category last year.
For the fifth year, U.S. News has identified "outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success." Iowa State is among 24 colleges and universities recognized for learning communities in U.S. News & World Report's 2007 "America's Best Colleges" edition.
U.S. News & World Report also ranked undergraduate engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Iowa State is ranked 39th best among engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, compared to 36th last year. Iowa State tied with Arizona State, Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) and Washington University in St. Louis. In the same engineering category, Iowa State is tied for 23rd with Arizona State among public universities cited.
"We are pleased that Iowa State is once again recognized among the top public national universities in the country," said Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Susan Carlson. "The new rankings reflect continuing improvements in freshmen retention rate, graduation rate and class sizes, compared with last year's survey. The number of classes with fewer than 20 students increased, while those with more than 50 students declined.
"Iowa State also is ranked highly among the top U.S. universities in the current issue of Washington Monthly magazine," Carlson added. "These are two vastly different but influential rankings, and to be included among the best on both lists speaks not only to Iowa State's academic excellence and research, but also to our commitment to outreach."
Highlights of the annual college rankings are scheduled for publication in the Aug. 28 issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine, available on newsstands Aug. 21. The "America's Best Colleges" guidebook goes on sale the same day. For more information, log on to http://www.usnews.com/usnews/rankguide/rghome.htm.