The University of Oregon advanced to No. 50 in US News & World Report’s list of the 117 Top Public Schools in the country. UO is listed at No. 106 in the overall rankings, up from No. 109 last year, and is still the highest-ranked research institution in Oregon. The university improved its standing by increasing freshmen retention, among other changes.
Every year, US News & World Report publishes its Best Colleges list, ranking 1,800 higher education institutions in the country. The 2015 list is based on data from fall 2013.
This year, UO boosted freshmen retention from 85 percent to 86 percent. This statistic refers to the percent of students who return for their sophomore year.
Roger Thompson, vice president for enrollment management at UO, said in a press release, “I want all students to return from the freshman to the sophomore year because it is the most important step toward earning a degree and changing one’s life.”
In addition to the list of the Top Public Schools, the UO is included in two other lists, both for the fifth straight year. The Best Undergraduate Business Programs and A-Plus Schools for B Students.
A-Plus Schools for B Students recognizes schools where students who may not have gotten the absolute best grades in high school can still receive a great education. Nine other universities in the Association of American Universities are also included on that list: Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan State, Rutgers, SUNY-Buffalo, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
“The UO is being recognized for its strong academic programs and accessibility for students,” Thompson said.
Best Undergraduate Business Programs is a list based solely on a peer-assessment survey of institutions that are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. This means that administrators at each institution rate the quality of the other institutions, and the ratings are averaged into a list.
Planned changes at UO in the coming years will most likely enhance the university’s standing in the US News rankings.
Thompson mentioned several construction and renovation projects that will improve student experience and boost metrics that US News uses to create the list.
“When I look at the expanded Allen Hall, the opening of the Lewis Integrative Science Building, and the current projects at the Student Recreation Center and the EMU, they each contribute to retaining students and helping them be successful,” he said.
Thompson also said that the Straub and Earl Hall renovation project will increase UO’s rank while benefiting students by adding 750 classroom seats.
Administrators also plan to reduce class sizes, hire more faculty, and expand classroom space, all of which should help UO distinguish itself favorably from its peers.