April 1, 2005 — The latest issue of U.S. News & World Report/America’s Best Graduate Schools showcases the University of Utah more than any other school in the state. The U is ranked in 21 separate categories. The next most frequently mentioned school appears in 5 ranking categories.
The biggest jump in the rankings was made the by the David Eccles School of Business, which moved up 8 spots from the 64th position to 56th in just one year. “Our school has received a lot of recognition recently. We’ve had some great national news coverage showcasing the accomplishments of our students. Our Executive MBA program for the first time this past year was ranked by the Financial Times of London. I think people are starting to take greater notice of the exceptional work being done by our faculty and students,” said Jack Brittain, dean of the business school.
The U’s Health Sciences Center is a perennial strong performer in the U.S. News rankings. Its College of Pharmacy is ranked 14th in the nation, tying with the University of Southern California and the University of Washington. “This latest ranking is yet another confirmation of the College of Pharmacy’s outstanding programs,” said A. Lorris Betz, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health sciences. “The college consistently ranks as one of the top research programs in grants awarded from the National Institutes of Health. The U.S. News ranking shows that the U College of Pharmacy also offers one of the best training programs in the country.” Betz also said, “We’re also proud that our family medicine, women’s health, and pediatrics programs received national recognition, being ranked 17th, 19th, and 20th, respectively.”
Utah’s Graduate School at the College of Engineering was mentioned more often than any other college on campus. The overall program was ranked 59th, while receiving 7 other rankings in a variety of specialties. Two of those specialties are newly ranked after not making the survey last year. Chemical Engineering claimed the 61st spot, while Civil Engineering was 78th. The graduate program in Bioengineering is considered one of the best in the nation and was ranked number 20.
The S.J. Quinney College of Law is ranked 49th in latest U.S. News survey, once again making the top tier of all schools, an achievement it has reached every year since the rankings began. “We are pleased that our law school is consistently recognized as among the top tier of law schools in the country,” said Scott M. Matheson, Jr., law school dean.
The University of Utah was also recognized for its graduate school at the College of Education, which was ranked 70th in the country. The specialties of Administration/Supervision and Special Education were ranked 13th and 19th respectively.
The U was recognized for having nationally recognized Ph.D. programs in English and Psychology Research. English received a ranking of 72, while Psychology Research was 107.
Each year, U.S. News ranks school programs in business, education, engineering, law, and medicine. From time to time other programs are also surveyed and ranked. U.S. News says its rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students.
For a complete listing of the U.S. News & World Report rankings of America’s Best Colleges visit http://www.usnews.com.