Article archive / October 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 2. Source pages: 1, 4.
US News and World Report released their university and college rankings in September and a number of Louisiana universities and colleges found their way into the top rankings in their respective categories.
US News ranks schools based on a group of variables including reputation among peers and colleagues, student selectivity, faculty resources such as compensation and class size, graduation and retention rates and financial resources. The scores are weighted to give a final ranking measure, notes the US News website.
US News analyzed more than 1,200 graduate schools. In their rankings for graduate schools in psychology, LSU Baton Rouge ranked #103. Tulane ranked #117. University of New Orleans ranked #178. And Louisiana Tech ranked #217.
For undergraduate education, US News places universities and colleges into several categories.
In the National Universities category, Tulane ranked #51 and also #12 in a category called “Up and Coming.”
LSU Baton Rouge ranked #134 and also #67 in Top Public Schools.
Louisiana Tech was ranked #199 and #115 in Top Public Schools.
For the category of Regional Universities South, Loyola ranked #9. McNeese ranked #88 in this category. University of Louisiana Monroe ranked #91 and Nicholls was ranked #95.
In National Liberal Arts Colleges, Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport was ranked #170 and Xavier University of Louisiana ranked #178.
Louisiana College, in Pineville ranked #53 in Regional Colleges.
The Times asked Dr. Janet Matthews, Loyola Professor, about the rankings. She said, “I know that Loyola University New Orleans has traditionally been viewed positively by the US News rating system when compared to other regional universities.”
“I think one of our greatest strengths,” she explained, “is that faculty are encouraged to serve as true ‘advisors’ to our students. This is especially true for our incoming freshmen who may be a bit ‘lost’ as they start college.”
Matthews explained how faculty members meet with students many times, help the student choose courses, and how students are assigned a permanent faculty advisor, as well as other activities. “Hopefully this gives them a connection to the university,” she explained.
For more information about US News ranking, go to: http://colleges.usnews.ranking sandreviews.com/best- colleges
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