Business, Engineering rise in U.S. news rankings

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas schools of Business and Engineering both rose in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of undergraduate programs.

Business was tied for 31st among public university programs, up from tied for 36th, while Engineering tied for 41st, up from tied for 45th. KU’s overall ranking among public universities is tied for 50th, down from last year’s tie for 47th.

“It is an exciting time for both Business and Engineering, with both schools expanding and creating new facilities to educate students who will be leaders in their fields. This national recognition only adds to that excitement,” said Jeffrey S. Vitter, provost and executive vice chancellor.

“In terms of the overall ranking, while we’d obviously prefer to go up, we’re focused on metrics directly related to student success, such as how many students progress and earn degrees. Students becoming graduates is central to our mission of educating leaders, and if we improve in this and other aspects of our mission, then the rankings will follow,” Vitter said.

Enhancing undergraduate education is one of the goals of Bold Aspirations, the university’s strategic plan. As part of that plan, in fall 2013 the university launched the KU Core Curriculum, which incorporates classes and experiences into new, universitywide general education requirements. The KU Core is based on specific learning outcomes designed to prepare students for successful lives and careers.

Bold Aspirations measures KU against its peer research universities, establishing goals such as raising the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate to 90 percent and the six-year graduation rate to 70 percent. KU currently has the highest graduation rate of all public universities in Kansas.

The rankings issued today are part of the U.S. News “2015 Best Colleges” report. Graduate program rankings, in which KU has 18 programs ranked in the top 20 nationally among public university graduate programs, are issued in the spring.