When asked to name the institutions that “have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities,” college administrators around the country consistently included the University of Denver on their shortlists, according U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings for undergraduate education.
The University is 13th on the magazine’s list of 16 “Up-and-Comers,” as selected by college presidents, provosts and admissions deans as they were filling out their rankings surveys. Other schools on the list include the University of Southern California, Clemson University, Tulane University and the University of San Diego.
“These schools are worth watching because they are making promising and innovative changes,” Robert Morse, director of data research for U.S. News & World Report, writes in a news release about the methodology behind the Up-and-Comers list. “This popular item on the peer survey enabled college officials to pick schools within their U.S. News Best Colleges ranking category that are rapidly evolving in ways that the public should be aware of and that are not always quickly noticeable in a college’s year-to-year rankings or the regular peer assessment survey.”
The U.S. News Best Colleges list — released Sept. 11 — also ranked the University of Denver among the nation’s top 100 national universities. DU is ranked 83rd among national universities, the magazine’s premier division, tied with Clark University (Mass.), Drexel University (Penn.), Indiana University-Bloomington, Marquette University (Wisc.) and University of Tulsa (Okla.). DU was ranked 82nd last year.
Other ranked universities in Colorado include the University of Colorado-Boulder at No. 97 and Colorado State University at No. 134.
The University’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 up to16 indicators of academic quality within each category. DU ranked high for its freshman retention rate (88 percent); percentage of faculty who are full-time (74 percent) and its percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students (60 percent).
“DU is committed to graduating students who are immersed in scholarship, engaged in the community and grounded in ethics,” says Provost Gregg Kvistad. “The academic strength of the University continues to grow, and we are pleased to be recognized for our focus on excellence.”
National universities ranked by U.S. News & World Report include 281 national public and private universities that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. The magazine weights the majority of a school’s ranking by objective criteria, combined with a school’s academic reputation as determined by a survey of university administrators and high school guidance counselors.