U.S.News & World Report’s annual college rankings for undergraduate education, released this week, again placed the University of Denver among the nation’s top 100 universities. DU climbed from 88th to 85th in the rankings, tied with Iowa State University, North Carolina State University at Raleigh, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the University of Kansas.
“The academic strength of our university continues to grow,” says Provost Gregg Kvistad. “We are committed to graduating students who are immersed in scholarship, engaged in the community and grounded in ethics.”
DU’s ranking is based on its Carnegie Foundation category as a doctoral/research university with high research activity. U.S.News & World Report collects data on as many as 15 indicators of academic quality within each category. DU ranked high for its freshman retention rate (87 percent); its acceptance rate (73 percent), its number of full-time faculty (73 percent), and its graduation rate (72 percent).
National universities ranked by U.S.News & World Report include 262 national public and private universities that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. The magazine weighs 75 percent of a school’s ranking by objective criteria, and 25 percent on a school’s academic reputation as determined by a survey of university administrators.
“For nearly a quarter century, consulting the U.S.News & World Report rankings has been a vital first step for prospective college students and their parents in the complex process of determining which institution best fits their goals,” says U.S.News & World Report editor Brian Kelly.