Students, alumni respond to new UI ranking
People hang out on the Main Quad in front of Foellinger Auditorium on March 5. The University was ranked 41st out of the 443 institutions according to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best National University Rankings.”
October 8, 2022
At the beginning of this semester, U.S. News & World Report released its yearly “Best National University Rankings,” and the University was ranked among the top 50.
Out of the 443 institutions in the nation, the University was ranked 41st. The Gies College of Business was ranked 13th for business programs, the University’s computer science program was ranked fifth, and the Grainger College of Engineering was ranked seventh in engineering programs.
Each year, U.S. News & World Report engages with researchers and academic officials to collectively decide the rankings of the nation’s schools.
Along with academic metrics, such as graduation rates and the number of students who return each semester, U.S. News & World Report also sends out surveys to universities to collect data concerning social mobility.
All of this data is turned into percentages to then calculate the overall total out of 100.
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“The fact that the University is ranked that high with Grainger’s engineering is still a very impressive fact,” said Isabel Wojcik, junior in LAS. “I think that shows that the University is still a very excellent one.”
With many things playing into the rankings, it’s important to note all the extracurricular activities that occur at the University.
“It’s really great that the university allows us to be eligible for so many jobs and internships,” Wojcik said. “I feel like it shows how strong our academic programs are to allow us to do things like that.”
Connor Ryan, a recent University alum, thinks this looks good for alumni too.
“We’re doing the right things,” Ryan said. “It says that we’re a very well known place of study and we’re very respected as academics.”
Wojcik is very excited for her upcoming years at the University because of the continuing developments in the University’s research programs and class systems.
“There’s always room for growth and improvement, and we’re on the right track for just that,” Wojcik said.
As for Ryan, he is very happy to see that his alma mater is striving.
“We do work hard, and now it shows,” Ryan said.
