IUPUI ranked 7th among colleges to watch!

IUPUI Moves Up in U.S. News and World Report Ranking for Universities to Watch

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is being seen even more by U.S. News and World Report as a place to "keep an eye on.” The listing is part of the national magazine's 2010 America’s Best Colleges Rankings.

For the second year, U.S. News asked college presidents and other administrators which higher education institutions had made "striking improvements or innovations.” The magazine reported that IUPUI is among 77 colleges and universities that were singled out as schools that have recently made the "most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students,campus, or facilities."

IUPUI was ranked against other national universities that were among the 77 colleges and universities. IUPUI was ranked seventh among national universities "to watch," up from 14th a year ago.

U.S. News editors wrote they began asking the question because college rankings don’t vary much from one year to the next. So how was it possible to "identify colleges and universities that have recently made striking improvements or innovations – schools everyone should be watching ?”

According to the editors, colleges and universities in the “Keep an Eye on These Schools” category “may not be at the top on the rankings (yet), but they’re leading the pack in improvements and innovative changes.”

IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz said the magazine's report reinforces what many on his campus and elsewhere already know.

"The U.S. News rankings confirm that IUPUI's bold innovation and commitment to making an impact is recognized nationally. Our talented faculty and staff are leading the nation in programs to support student success and are national leaders in civic engagement, research, and learning. They are making an impact every day," Bantz said.

The national news magazine again cited IUPUI for offering three programs that are commonly linked to student success: service learning, first-year experience and learning communities.

They are among eight programs the magazine identified, with the help of education experts, as programs to look for. College presidents, chief academic officers and deans of admissions then were asked to nominate up to 10 institutions with “stellar” examples of each kind of program. Programs cited by the magazine are the ones mentioned most.

Highlights of the college rankings will be published in the September 2009 issue of U.S.News & World Report, available for newsstand purchase Monday, August 24. The 2010 America's Best Colleges guidebook will be available as of Tuesday, August 25.