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UW–Madison remains strong in 2014 U.S. News rankings

September 10, 2013 By John Lucas

The University of Wisconsin–Madison held steady in U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking of 270 national doctoral universities, again tying for 41st overall.

The university tied for 11th among public institutions in rankings released today (Sept. 10) in the 2014 edition of “Best Colleges.” Last year, the university placed 10th.

UW-Madison’s rankings performance benefits from a strong reputation among peers and high school counselors, as well as high retention and graduation rates.

“The reputation of our university’s quality and value continues to grow,” says Provost Paul M. DeLuca Jr. “Rankings are one measure among many, but we’re pleased to be among this group.”

In other facets of the U.S. News report, recognition was given to the university’s undergraduate experience, with peers nominating institutions with strong programs in certain academic service areas. UW–Madison was among the most mentioned for its learning communities and undergraduate research/creative projects sections.

The methodology used to produce the 2014 rankings was slightly updated, deemphasizing measures like student selectivity and class rank, and emphasizing retention and graduation rate measures. Other criteria used included peer and high school counselor assessment, faculty resources, financial resources and alumni giving.

The report also evaluated undergraduate engineering and business programs.

Once again, the College of Engineering tied for 13th overall and seventh among public doctoral-granting institutions. The engineering rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty.

The undergraduate program at the Wisconsin School of Business tied for 18th overall and tied for seventh among public doctoral-granting institutions, down slightly from 17th last year. The insurance/risk management program tied for second overall and first among public universities, while the real estate program was ranked first overall. The business school rankings are also based solely on the judgments of business deans and senior faculty.

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