Getting schooled
UT Austin hooks No. 10 ranking among nation’s best public universities
The University of Texas at Austin has hooked a new spot in the undergraduate rankings of the nation’s top universities.
U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top 40 national universities puts UT Austin at No. 38, with the school climbing four spots since it was listed on last year’s list. But it should be noted that UT Austin tied at No. 38 with three other schools.
Among public universities in the country, U.S. News & World Report now ranks UT Austin as No. 10, up three spots from last year. And Longhorns will be glad to note that UT Austin remains the top public university of the Lone Star State.
The only other Texas school to make this year’s list is Houston’s Rice University, tied at No. 17 on the U.S. News & World Report list of the top 40 national universities. Last year, Rice tied for 16th place.
Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, claimed the No. 1 spot.
U.S. News says the list, released September 13, features a mix of research institutions that offer an array of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
“Students and faculty continue to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it's through remote learning, mask-wearing, or vaccine requirements,” Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News, says in a news release. “As communities work through these challenges, U.S. News is committed to providing information on the academic quality of institutions across the country, so prospective students and their families can make informed decisions throughout their college search.”
U.S. News assesses colleges and university on 17 measures of academic quality. These include class sizes, graduation and retention rates, academic reputation, and availability of financial aid for students.
The U.S. News ranking follows several other kudos for UT Austin, including top 10 rankings in three categories:
- Business programs (tied at No. 5)
- Engineering programs (tied at No. 10)
- Computer science programs (tied at No. 10)
Additionally, UT Austin is again ranked the top university in Texas for veterans and is ranked No. 16 nationally. The university also ranked in the top 25 in two specialty categories, placing No. 19 among the country’s Most Innovative Schools and No. 25 nationally for undergraduate research.
“This is ultimately a story about UT’s trajectory. We continue to move ahead in many ways, improving our position among elite universities,” says UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, in a release. “We’re not done yet, and our future is very bright, even while we appreciate the recognition of our progress these rankings represent. They offer thoroughly deserved recognition for our schools and programs and are a testament to the excellence of our faculty, staff and students.”
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Chantal Rice contributed to this story. A version of this article originally appeared on InnovationMap.
