The U’s individual schools and undergraduate colleges have helped improve the institution’s national rankings.
According to a recent survey of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, the U has achieved 111th out of more than 1,400 colleges and universities, and 54th among top public national universities, tying with Florida State University. The magazine also ranked individual colleges within the university, the front-runner being the David Eccles School of Business at 48th place.
One of the things that helps the U stand out is “our very committed faculty who puts a high value on teaching,” said Jack Brittain, the business school’s dean, referring to the faculty’s commitment to its students.
Brittain also spoke on some recent accolades that have helped boost the business school’s rankings, including features in publications such as Entrepreneur Magazine and The Wall Street Journal, where it was noted as one of the top 100 business schools in the world.
Also making a substantial jump in rankings this year was the U’s undergraduate engineering program, which ranked 60th best in the country for schools whose highest degree is a doctorate.
The College of Engineering, which is known for its excellence in computer science and bioengineering, among other programs, has graduated founders of companies such as Netscape, WordPerfect, Novell, Atari, Adobe Systems and Pixar, to name a few.
While these academic rankings have helped the university preserve a notable standing, the U was also recognized on a list of national universities with students incurring the least amount of debt before graduation.
Just 42 percent of Utah students will acquire some amount of debt, with the average student totaling $12,400 in loans, according to U.S. News.
“I chose the U’s business program over Denver University because their tuition was so much lower,” said Soren Bales, a freshman majoring in finance.
The U’s graduate programs in law, research medicine, and primary care also received top 50 rankings.