WU moves up to 12th in U.S. News rankings
Washington University’s overall undergraduate programs are ranked 12th-best among first-tier colleges and universities by U.S. News and World Report. The university climbed two spots from 14th to tie the University of Chicago.
WU is now battling Columbia University in New York City and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, for the 10th ranking.
“It’s gratifying to see recognition coming to Washington University,” said Chancellor Mark Wrighton. “Our success is due to the excellent students, faculty and staff who bring great value to the educational environment here.”
The university’s strongest showing was in the category of financial resources, defined as the level of per-student, educational expenditures by the university. WU was ranked third, following the California Institute of Technology and Yale University.
Many of the university’s financial resources, such as the endowments, are due to gifts from alumni. U.S. News ranked WU seventh for alumni giving, which takes into account the percentage of alumni who have contributed financially to the university in the past year.
These financial resources are yielding significant dividends for undergraduate students in the classroom. The university was ranked 11th in faculty resources, which among other things takes into consideration student-faculty ratio, number of professors with the highest degree in their field, and the percentage of faculty who are full-time.
I think it shows the emphasis the university puts on undergraduate education,” said Arts and Sciences sophomore Chris Hrdlicka. “If a student is interested in research, for instance, the faculty are very interested in getting that student involved in their research or in finding another professor whose research might be of interest. I also think it’s important to have classes taught by professors and not TA’s.”
“One of my professors made an announcement the other day that she wants more people to come to her office hours,” added Blythe Pollack, a freshmen in the Olin School of Business. “I think all of the professors here are like that and they really want to get to know their students.”
But office hours at not the only way students get to know their professors. Students get to interact closely with their professors in the classroom because of the small size of most undergraduate courses. WU was ranked 12th in terms of percentage of classes with 20 or fewer students, with 70 percent of its courses meeting that criterion.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many small classes there are here, and by how many small classes I was able to take in just my freshman year,” said Christina Freeman, a sophomore in Arts and Sciences. “I got to know my professors because of that, and I was able to realize how accessible they really are.”
Students will also be glad to know that despite the high cost of attending WU, the university was ranked 16th on the “Best Value” list, which weighs the quality of education and affordability.
Olin School of Business
Along with the university’s overall ranking, the business school also moved up two spots among its peers. The undergraduate business program had been ranked 16th, but it is now ranked 14th.
“Our graduates from the bachelor of science in business administration program delight their employers with the level of their capability and training, said Stuart Greenbaum, dean of the Olin School of Business. “It’s a truly cutting-edge program, offering a range of choices unavailable in most undergraduate programs.”
Greenbaum pointed to the school’s new major in managerial economics and strategy as an example.
This year’s U.S. News rankings will be published in the newsstand book “America’s Best Colleges,” which also contains feature articles and will go on sale Sept. 16. The rankings and several of the feature articles will also be published in the Sept. 23 edition of U.S. News and World Report magazine.
You can also find the rankings on the magazine’s Web site at www.usnews.com.
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