University of Virginia Ranked #1 Public with Berkeley, 20th Overall

September 1 , 2000 -- U.Va. is tied with the University of California-Berkeley as the nation's #1 public university, according to the new U.S. News & World Report rankings released this morning. The two universities are ranked 20^th among all national universities, private and public. On last year's list, U.Va. was 22^nd, two spots below Berkeley. U.Va. has the highest graduation rate of any public college or university and 13th highest overall.

The magazine also ranks undergraduate programs in engineering and business each fall. U.Va.'s School of Engineering and Applied Science rose five places, to a 27^th-place tie from a tie at 32^nd last year.

The McIntire School of Commerce is again in the top ten, ranked eighth, in a tie with New York University. Its ranked departments include accounting (12th), consulting (6th), finance (9th), general management (10th), marketing (6th), and management information systems (13th).

A key factor in the University's overall ranking is its improvement in the faculty resources category, which rose to 28^th place among 228 national universities, compared to 42^nd last year. As defined by the magazine, faculty resources includes class size, faculty salaries, the percentage of faculty members with the highest degree in their field, student-faculty ratio, and the percentage of full-time faculty.

In a related category, financial resources – the amount spent per student on teaching, research, student services, and educational expenditures – the University dropped to 64th from 62nd in 1999. This can be considered a measure of efficiency, as U.Va. spends less than any of its peers to achieve top-25 results.

U.Va. remains highly ranked in academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, and percent of full-time faculty.

National Rankings
Public Colleges and Universities
Undergraduate Engineering
Undergraduate Business

Contact: Louise Dudley, (804) 924-1400.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: please contact the Office of University Relations at (804) 924-7116. Television reporters should contact the TV News Office at (804) 924-7550.
SOURCE: U.Va. News Services

2000 NEWS RELEASES
1999 NEWS RELEASES

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