KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is again ranked among the nation’s Top 50 public institutions, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 undergraduate rankings released today.
UT Knoxville ranked forty-sixth among all public universities, up one spot from last year, and 101st among all national universities, up from 104th last year.
UT Knoxville’s business and engineering programs were once again ranked among the nation’s top public institutions. The College of Business Administration’s undergraduate supply chain management/logistics program was fifth among public institutions and seventh nationally, up two spots from last year. UT’s overall undergraduate program rose seven spots to twenty-seventh place among public universities. The College of Engineering’s overall undergraduate program rose five spots to thirty-second place among public universities.
“We are committed to the challenge of becoming a Top 25 public research university,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “Progress toward that goal will come one step at a time, and this is just one sign that things are moving in the right direction.”
Wayne Davis, dean of the College of Engineering, said he is impressed with the college’s rise in the rankings.
“Our incoming class of engineering students is the best it has ever been, and we think it is due in large part to the quality of our undergraduate education,” Davis said. “It is great to see the recognition of the impact that our college and its graduates are having in Tennessee, across the nation and around the world.”
“Our enhanced programming in supply chain management, data analytics, international business, and entrepreneurship and innovation is paying rich dividends and differentiating our programs from other schools. We are proud that our rankings reflect that,” said Jan Williams, dean of UT’s College of Business Administration. “Our college’s strong national reputation is one of our most important assets as we prepare the next generation of America’s business leaders.”
The publication ranks universities based on academic reputation, graduation rates, student selectivity, faculty resources, and student retention rates. The list includes 280 American colleges and universities offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
The freshman retention rate for UT Knoxville is 85 percent, up from 83.5 percent last year. The magazine reports three-year averages of freshmen who returned to campus the following fall semester.
UT Knoxville’s six-year student graduation rate is 60 percent, the highest of Tennessee’s public research universities.
“We have put a strong emphasis on retention and graduation of our students, including the reallocation of resources to help them graduate in four years,” Cheek said.
For more information on the rankings, visit http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges.
C O N T A C T :
Charles Primm (865-974-5180, charles.primm@tennessee.edu)