UA in top tier of national universities
Gentry Lassiter
Issue date: 8/20/07 Section: News
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For national universities and liberal arts colleges, including the UA, there is an eighth category: graduation rate performance.
According to the U.S. News Web site, "The indicators include both input measures, which reflect the quality of students, faculty and other resources used in education and outcome measures, which capture the results of the education an individual receives."
The data presented by the report allows the UA to guage its performance against other universities, White said. "We've identified a peer group of 54 institutions," he said.
According to the Daily Headlines release, White said that as other universities see the results the UA produces, the national reputation of the university and its overall ranking will be affected.
The UA's ranking has fluctuated over the last three years; two years ago, it was ranked 120, in the top tier. White said that although there are some fluctuations in individual years' rankings, a pattern in the UA's position exists. He said that since he has been watching the rankings for the last ten years, "We have tended to be toward the top of the third tier or the bottom of the top tier."
"For me, the importance of the rankings is the data that they offer," White said. "It's very clear from the formula that we need to increase our six-year graduation rate," he said. The UA's six-year graduation rate remained 56 percent, the same as it was in 2006 and 2005. "[U.S. News] predicted we'd be at 63 percent," White said. If the UA can increase its graduation rate, its ranking will rise, White said.
In order to increase graduation rates, the UA needs more need-based scholarships, he said. "There is a gap that has grown nationally between the haves and the have-nots," he said. "Our students leave with heavy debt loads," he said. "We need to decrease this in order to increase our six-year graduation rate."
The report also ranks business schools. The Sam M. Walton College of business again ranked 41 among the top 50 business programs in America, and 24 among public business programs.
According to the U.S. News Web site, "The indicators include both input measures, which reflect the quality of students, faculty and other resources used in education and outcome measures, which capture the results of the education an individual receives."
The data presented by the report allows the UA to guage its performance against other universities, White said. "We've identified a peer group of 54 institutions," he said.
According to the Daily Headlines release, White said that as other universities see the results the UA produces, the national reputation of the university and its overall ranking will be affected.
The UA's ranking has fluctuated over the last three years; two years ago, it was ranked 120, in the top tier. White said that although there are some fluctuations in individual years' rankings, a pattern in the UA's position exists. He said that since he has been watching the rankings for the last ten years, "We have tended to be toward the top of the third tier or the bottom of the top tier."
"For me, the importance of the rankings is the data that they offer," White said. "It's very clear from the formula that we need to increase our six-year graduation rate," he said. The UA's six-year graduation rate remained 56 percent, the same as it was in 2006 and 2005. "[U.S. News] predicted we'd be at 63 percent," White said. If the UA can increase its graduation rate, its ranking will rise, White said.
In order to increase graduation rates, the UA needs more need-based scholarships, he said. "There is a gap that has grown nationally between the haves and the have-nots," he said. "Our students leave with heavy debt loads," he said. "We need to decrease this in order to increase our six-year graduation rate."
The report also ranks business schools. The Sam M. Walton College of business again ranked 41 among the top 50 business programs in America, and 24 among public business programs.
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