Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was ranked 44th among the top 50 universities in the nation this year by the U.S. News & World Report. Though the national universities category is one of the most competitive groups, Rensselaer has consistently placed among the top 50 universities in the past eight years, despite being among the smaller universities in the category.
The U.S. News & World Report issued its 2008 edition of the “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook, which features school rankings, articles on different college experiences, and programs to look for. Rensselaer was recognized for its unique undergraduate research opportunities and First-Year Experience program.
Rensselaer was also ranked 24th for best value. The formula for best value incorporates the quality of the academic program and the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. The School of Engineering received a ranking of 20th out of the 70 top engineering schools in the country, and the Lally School of Management & Technology climbed two spots, to 58th in the nation.
Although Rensselaer has continued to place among the top 50 universities in the nation, this year’s ranking was a slight decrease from the previous year. According to Vice President for Strategic Communication and External Relations William Walker, this drop in ranking can be attributed to a few things, such as the methods used for conducting the rankings as well as the gross effect of slight changes in particular scores upon the overall ranking. In particular, Rensselaer’s score in the average alumni giving rate dropped a few percentage points to 19 percent, while the peer assessment dropped by a few fractions of a point to 3.5 (out of 5.0).
According to Dean of Admissions and Vice President for Enrollment Jim Nondorf, the slight drop in Rensselaer’s national university ranking should have a minimal effect on prospective students, especially considering all of the other indicators that factor into a prospective students college decision. In fact, both Nondorf and Walker emphasized that it is the quality of the prospective students’ visit and experience on campus that really has the most impact on their decision, rather than a two spot drop in ranking.
In addition, Walker stated that the overall presentation of Rensselaer in both its national university ranking and more specialized rankings, as well as the qualitative discussions of its programs by the U.S. News & World Report guidebook is indicative of a general growing respect for Rensselaer and the quality of its educational programs.
More information on the U.S. News & World Report ranking and “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook can be found at http://www.usnews.com/.
