EUGENE, Ore. -- (Aug. 17, 2010) - The University of Oregon is attracting more freshmen students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and it's making an impact on the university's national rankings.
Today, U.S. News Media Group announced its 2011 America's Best Colleges rankings of 1,400 schools. The UO ranks 111 in the "Best National Universities" list of top tier institutions. In 2010, UO ranked 115 in the category. In addition, the UO Lundquist College of Business ranked 42 in the top 50 "Best Business Programs" list.
The UO freshmen students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes increased to 28 percent for the 2011 rankings. It is a 2 percent increase from 2010 and a 5 percent increase from 2009 rankings.
"The high-quality academic programs at the University of Oregon are attracting top students who want to study here," said Roger Thompson, UO vice provost for enrollment management. "With an average incoming GPA of 3.54, UO students are well-prepared for higher education at a top public research institution and the high school counselors who support their college searches agree."
In a methodology change, U.S. News replaced the peer assessment score with a new Undergraduate Academic Reputation Index that includes, for the first time, the opinions of high school guidance counselors at public high schools. UO's 2011 Undergraduate Academic Reputation Index is 68 out of 100, a four-percent increase from the 2010 peer assessment score.
The rankings also factor in graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.
"Selecting the right university is a complex decision for students and faculty and they should view rankings like these as part of the overall analysis," said Richard W. Lariviere, UO president. "The changes in methodology are a starting point to more accurately capture what is special and extraordinary about the University of Oregon."
The rankings are online today at www.usnews.com/colleges, and will be published in the September issue of U.S. News & World Report, on newsstands Aug. 31. Data used to calculate the 2011 rankings are from Fall 2009.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Julie Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu
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