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Tech Valley News
Tech Valley Colleges Among Best in Nation
The latest edition of the annual U.S. News & World Report America's Best Colleges guide is out and once again Tech Valley colleges and universities are ranked among the top schools in the country.
The magazine ranks institutions of higher education based on 15 indicators of academic success including class size and student/faculty ratio, retention of freshman, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.
Among national universities, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked 41st. This is the ninth year in a row Rensselaer has been counted among the top 50 universities in the nation.
“We are proud that Rensselaer is once again ranked among the leading 50 universities in the nation,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “We are educating the next generation of leaders: researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders, who will frame the important questions, who will meet and resolve the challenges of the 21st century, who will change the world. The most important affirmation of our success is the quality, intellectual breadth, and personal commitment of the stellar students who have chosen to enroll at Rensselaer.”
In addition to the academic rankings, Rensselaer was once again featured in the publication’s “Great Schools, Great Prices” category, and the Institute was highlighted in two categories of “Programs to Look For”: First-Year Experience and Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects.
Vassar College ranked 11th, United States Military Academy came in at 14th, Bard College placed 37th, Union College ranked 42nd and Skidmore College came in at 47th among liberal arts colleges.
Marist College placed 13th – it’s best showing ever in the rankings – among colleges and universities in the northern United States that offer a full range of undergraduate and master's level programs. It’s the15th consecutive year Marist has been ranked in the top tier of the category. The College of Saint Rose, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Plattsburgh also made the top tier of the list.
"We have had great success in recent years in bringing high-quality faculty to the college," said SUNY Plattsburgh Provost Jay Stein. "In addition, we have invested in our current faculty with strong support and recognition programs. We also continue to deepen the Plattsburgh experience as a student-centered research college, and this recognition by U.S. News is further proof that we are on the right track."
Marist was also one of 70 schools listed among the "colleges and universities that have recently made striking improvements or innovations - schools everyone should be watching," according to U.S. News & World Report. The magazine also noted these "colleges and universities (were) identified by top college officials in spring 2008 as schools that have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus, or facilities."
"It's always very gratifying to have others tell you how well you are doing, and to have your peer institutions recognize the progress Marist has made over the years,” Marist President Dennis J. Murray said. “The credit for the success goes to our faculty and staff who work everyday for the benefit of the students who choose to be part of the Marist community. It is their dedication that brings this increased recognition to Marist."
Rensselaer’s undergraduate engineering program continues to be rated among the top 25 in the country. Three of the Institute’s engineering specialty programs – biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering – were also ranked in the top 25.
Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management & Technology climbed 16 spots in the rankings this year from 59th to 43rd. Earlier this year, BusinessWeek ranked the Lally School 26th overall in the nation among the magazine’s 2008 list of top 50 undergraduate business programs, and it listed the Lally School as number one in the nation in the area of corporate strategy.
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